ADVANCE  IN  THE 
ANTILLES 


Howard  RGnose 


*  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  •      ^ 


Purchased   by  the   Hamill   Missionary   Fund. 


BV  2845  .G8  1910 

Grose,  Howard  B.  1851-1939. 

Advance  in  the  Antilles 


FORWARD    MISSION   STUDY  COURSES 

EDITED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF 

THE  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  MISSIONARY  MOVEMENT 

OF  THE  UNITED   STATES  AND  CANADA 


ADVANCE   IN  THE  ANTILLES 


N.  B. — Special  helps  and  denominational  mission  study 
literature  for  this  course  can  be  obtained  by  corresponding 
with    the    Secretary   of   your   mission   board   or    society. 


HOWARD    B.    CKOSE 


ADVANCE  IN  THE 
ANTILLES 

THE  NEW  ERA  IN  CUBA  AND  PORTO  RICO 


By  HOWARD  B.  GROSE 

Author  of  ALIENS   OR   AMERICANS? 


Esta  es  la  ticrra  mas  hermosa  que  ojos  hayon 

visto. 

This    is    the    most    beautiful    land    that    eyes 

have  seen. — Christopher  Columbus. 


LITERATURE  DEPARTMENT 

PRESBYTERIAN    HOME   MISSIONS 

156  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK,   N.  Y. 
1910 


Copyright,   1910,  by 

Young    People's    Missionary    Movement 

or  THE  United  States  and  Canada 


TO  THE  MISSIONARIES 

AMERICAN  AND  NATIVE 

CONSECRATED   MEN   AND   WOMEN 

WHO   HAVE  GIVEN   THEIR  LIVES   TO    THE 

EVANGELIZATION    OF   CUBA 

AND  PORTO   RICO 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Preface     xi 

PART    ONE— CUBA 

I  Under   Spanish    Rule    3 

II  Cuba    Libre    31 

III  The   People  and  Their  Life    65 

IV  Cuba  as  a  Mission  Field    99 

PART  TWO— PORTO   RICO 

V      Past  and   Present  in   Porto  Rico    135 

VI      The    Island   and   Its    People    167 

VII      The   Missionary    Outlook    I95 

APPENDIXES 

A  Aids  to  the  Pronunciation  of  Spanish  Words....  229 
B      Interesting   Facts    for   Reference    Drawn    from   the 

Census   of    1907    230 

C     Marriage  Restrictions  and  Roman  Catholic  Church 

Acquisition    of    Properly     235 

D      Population    of   Porto   Rico    238 

E     Bibliography    239 

F     Statistics    of     Protestant     Missions    in    Cuba    and 

Porto  Rico   244 

Index    247 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Howard   B.   Grose    Frontispiece 

Cathedral,   Havana,   Where   Columbus   Was   Buried.. Page     7 

Cathedral,   Santiago "  7 

Morro   Castle   and   Lighthouse,   Havana    "  13 

Columbus    Park,    Havana    "  I3 

Harbor,    Havana    53 

Docks,    Havana    "  53 

Cuban   Laborers— Four   Nationalities "  69 

Market-place,    Santiago    "  69 

Types   of   Cuban    Girls    "  75 

Courting    in    Cuba    "  ^3 

Courtyard  of  a  Wealthy   Cuban  Home   "  83 

Bull-fight  of  the   Past    "  87 

Cock-fighting  of  the  Present  "  87 

Pottery  Class,  Brooks  Institute,   Guantanamo,  Cuba..  "  ill 

Basket  Weaving,  Brooks  Institute,  Guantanamo,  Cuba  "'  ill 

First  Converts  at  Pinar  del  Rio,  Cuba  "  121 

First    National    Convention    of    Young   People's    So- 
cieties and  Sunday  Schools,   1906,  Matanzas,  Cuba.  "  121 

Cockpit    that   Became    This    Church    Site    "  131 

Baptist    Church,    Guantanamo,  Cuba    "  131 

Village   Street  in  the   Interior    "  U7 

Farming  with  Stick  Plow  and  Oxen   "  H? 

Blanche  Kellog  Institute,   Sanlurce,   Porto  Rico    "  191 

International  Schools,   El  Cristo,  Cuba    "  191 

Open-air   Meeting    211 

Preaching  to    Children    "  211 

ix 


Illustrations 

Presbyterian   Hospital,   San  Juan.   Porto   Rico    "     215 

St.Luke's  Hospital,  Ponce,   Porto  Rico   "     215 

First    Presbyterian   Church,   Aguadilla,    Porto   Rico..  "    223 

United  Brethren  Church,  Ponce,  Porto  Rico "     223 

Colored  Map  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  End 


PREFACE 

FOR  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  this  is  a  new  era.  As 
a  result  of  the  Spanish-American  War  (1898- 
1900),  both  islands  passed  from  Spanish  rule. 
Cuba  was  guaranteed  her  independence  by  the 
United  States,  which  had  waged  war  on  her  behalf 
and  that  of  human  liberty.  Porto  Rico,  through  the 
issue  of  that  war,  became  a  possession  of  the  United 
States. 

In  both  islands  the  breaking  away  from  the  op- 
pressive government  of  Spain  was  accompanied  by 
a  breaking  away  from  the  not  less  oppressive  ec- 
clesiastical rule  of  the  Romish  Church.  Religious  > 
liberty  was  not  less  welcome  to  the  people  than 
civil  liberty.  The  new  order  opened  the  door  wide 
for  the  American  Protestant  missionaries,  and  they 
entered  at  once  the  new  fields. 

The  character  of  the  new  era  in  these  island 
neighbors  will  be  determined  in  no  small  degree 
by  the  character  of  the  influence  exerted  upon  them 
by  the  people  of  the  United  States  who  trade  with 
them,  visit  them,  or  permanently  settle  among  them. 
Of  the  latter,  the  missionaries  will  form  by  far  the  1 
most  important  factor. 

The  purpose  of  this  volume  is  to  familiarize  our 
people  with  the  past  and  present  of  the  islands,  and 


Preface 

to  show  wliat  has  been  accomphshed  and  what  it  is 
hoped  to  accompHsh  through  the  missionary 
agencies  sustained  by  American  Protestants. 

The  author  gratefully  acknowledges  his  debt  to 
many  missionaries  of  various  denominations,  to 
secretaries  of  mission  boards,  to  tourist  friends  and 
others  who  have  given  information  and  aid.  He  is 
especially  indebted  to  Mr.  Harry  Wade  Hicks, 
General  Secretary  of  the  Young  People's  Mission- 
ary Movement,  who  placed  at  his  disposal  the  rec- 
ord of  his  Cuban  tour  of  investigation;  to  J.  Milton 
Greene,  D.  D.,  Superintendent  of  Presbyterian 
Missions  in  Havana  and  Western  Cuba;  to  H.  R. 
Moseley,  D.  D.,  Superintendent  of  Baptist  Missions 
in  Eastern  Cuba,  who  arranged  for  him  a  mission- 
ary tour  of  the  island ;  and  to  the  Rev.  George  F. 
Wells,  who  rendered  valuable  service  in  gathering 
material  concerning  Porto  Rico. 

Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  can  and  must  be  evangel- 
ized. May  this  volume  serve  to  further  this  great 
end. 

Howard  B.  Grose. 

New  York,  ^ipril,  ipio. 


PART  I-CUBA 


UNDER  SPANISH  RULE 


The  means  for  establishing  the  Faith  In  the  Indies  should  be 
the  same  as  those  by  which  Christ  introduced  his  religion  into 
the  world,— mild,  peaceable,  and  charitable;  humility:  good 
examples  of  a  holy  and   regular  way  of  living. 

The  Devil  could  not  have  done  more  mischief  than  the 
Spaniards  have  done  in  distributing  and  despoiling  the  coun- 
tries, in  their  rapacity  and  tyranny;  subjecting  the  natives  to 
cruel  tasks,  treating  them  like  beasts,  and  persecuting  those 
especially  who  apply  to   the  monks   for  Instruction. 

—Two  of  the  Thirty 
Propositions  of  Las  Cnsas,  Spanish  defender  of  the  Indians, 
companion    of   Columbus. 

It  is  a  government  of  tlio  Spaniards,  by  the  Spaniards,  for 
the  Spaniards.  I  have  spoken  of  it  as  Inquisitorial.  It  Is  a 
government  by  the  police.  Every  one  lives  under  constant 
espionage. 

— James   W.   Steele 

If  there  be  a  fact  to  which  all  experience  testlfles.  It  is  that, 
when  a  country  holds  another  in  subjection,  the  individuals  of 
the  ruling  people  who  resort  to  the  foreign  country  to  make 
their  fortunes  are  of  all  others  those  who  most  need  to  be 
held  under  powerful  restraint.  They  think  the  people  of  tho 
country  mere  dirt  under  their  feet;  it  seems  to  them  monstrous 
that  any  rights  of  the  natives  should  stand  in  the  way  of  their 
smallest  pretensions;  the  simplest  act  of  protection  to  the  In- 
habitants, against  any  act  of  power  on  their  part  which  they 
may  consider  useful  to  their  commercial  interests,  they  de- 
nounce and  sincerely  regard  as  an   injury-r- 

— John  Stuart  Mill 

Spain's  colonial  policy  was.  In  every  Instance,  the  cause  of 
Cuban  revolt.  In  that  policy,  she  violated  a  fundamental  prin- 
ciple of  government.  She  assumed  that  the  subject  existed 
solely  for  tho  benefit  of  the  sovereign.  In  establishing  her 
colony  she  souglit  only  her  own  financial  advantage.  Other 
colonizing  countries  learned,  through  experience,  tlie  folly  of 
such  a  policy.  Spain  never  learned  it.  and  has  now  lost  her 
Insular  possessions. 

— ^.    O.    Kobinaon 


I 

UNDER  SPANISH  RULE 

I.     Period  of  Discovery 

A  Beautiful  Land.  "The  most  beautiful  land 
that  human  eyes  ever  beheld!"  exclaimed  Christo- 
pher Columbus,  as  he  looked  for  the  first  time  upon 
the  coast  of  Cuba.  It  was  also  the  first  land  of  im- 
portance discovered  by  him  in  the  western  world. 

First  New  World  Discovery.  To  understand 
how  the  great  explorer  came  upon  Cuba,  we  must 
recall  his  first  voyage.  Seventy-one  days  after  the 
little  caravels  set  sail  from  Spanish  port  (August 
2,  1492),  when  hope  was  almost  gone  and  mutiny 
Avas  in  the  air,  a  keen-eyed  lookout  spied  the  land 
by  moonlight,  two  hours  before  the  dawn;  and  in 
the  early  morning  the  Santa  Maria,  Pinta,  and 
Nina  were  lying  at  anchor  near  the  little  island 
called  by  the  natives  Guanahani,  renamed  by  Co- 
lumbus San  Salvador  (the  Savior)  as  he  landed 
and  claimed  it  for  Spain.^ 

Spain's  Sovereignty.  That  day  (October  12, 
1492)    began   Spain's   sovereignty  in  the   Western 

I.  Whether  this  island  was  the  Cat  Island  of  to-day,  or 
Watling's  Island,  of  the  Bahama  group,  is  in  controversy. 
I  he  evidence  favors  Watling's  Island. 


6         ADVANXE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

hemisphere — a  sovereignty  that  was  to  last  for  four 
hundred  years  and  that  put  a  hhght  upon  every  acre 
covered  hy  the  Spanisli  claims  and  occupation. 

The  Natives  and  Columbus.  The  natives  wel- 
comed the  strangers  as  messengers  from  heaven. 
Columbus  was  too  tactful  to  undeceive  them.  In 
his  journal  he  writes :  "In  order  to  win  the  friend- 
ship and  affection  of  that  people,  and  because  I  was 
convinced  that  their  conversion  to  our  holy  faith 
would  be  better  promoted  through  love  than  through 
force,  I  presented  some  of  them  with  red  caps  and 
some  strings  of  glass  beads  and  other  trifles  that 
delighted  them  and  by  which  we  have  got  a  wonder- 
ful hold  on  their  affections.'"  Thus  the  missionary 
motive  was  declared  by  the  discoverer  at  the  begin- 
ning. Had  Columbus  only  held  to  this  course  of 
treatment  and  inspired  all  Spaniards  to  imitate  him 
in  it,  how  different  would  have  been  the  history  of 
America !  The  same  motive  was  professed  when  he 
tore  some  of  the  natives  from  their  families  and 
homes  and  carried  them  with  him :  "It  is  my  con- 
viction that  they  would  easily  become  Christians, 
for  they  seem  not  to  have  any  sect.  If  it  please 
our  Lord,  I  will  take  six  of  them  from  here  to 
your  Highnesses  on  my  departure,  that  they  may 
learn  to  speak."  It  was  purely  for  their  own  good, 
imt  their  value  as  slaves,  that  they  were  to  be  taken. 
After   describing   the    peaceful    and    evidently    re- 

I.  Discovery  of  America,  hy  Cliristophcr  Columbus; 
r.l'ridged  by  Las  Casas.  American  History  as  Told  by  Con- 
ianporaries,  35- 


^>'it"f<|!iiiiiriiiinimsniiiifinmimiii 


CATIIEDKAL,     HAVANA.     WHERE    COLUMBUS     WAS     BURIED 
CATHEDRAL,    SANTIAGO 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  7 

ligious  people,  the  journal  continues :  "Afterward 
I  returned  to  the  ship  and  set  sail,  and  saw  so 
many  islands  that  I  could  not  decide  to  which  one 
I  should  go  first,  and  the  men  I  had  taken  told  me 
by  signs  that  there  were  more  than  one  hundred 
of  them.  In  consequence  I  looked  for  the  largest 
one  and  determined  to  make  for  it,  and  I  am  so 
doing." 

Cuba  Discovered.  And  it  was  in  so  doing  that 
Columbus,  in  his  quest  of  gold,  came  a  fortnight 
later  to  discover  Cuba.  After  winding  in  and  out 
among  the  Bahamas,  on  the  26th  of  October  he  en- 
tered the  harbor  of  Nuevitas,  on  the  northern  coast, 
and  on  the  28th  took  possession  in  the  name  of 
Spain,  naming  the  land  Juana,^  in  honor  of  the 
Spanish  crown  prince.  He  was  charmed  with  the 
marvelous  beauty  of  the  landscape.  The  mountains 
seemed  to  him  like  those  of  Sicily.  When  the  na- 
tives pointed  to  the  interior  and  said  "Cubanacan," 
Columbus  readily  supposed  thej^  meant  Kublai 
Khan,  because  he  had  that  Oriental  monarch  in  his 
mind,  and  now  he  was  sure  he  had  reached  Cipango 
(Japan),  the  land  of  his  desire  and  of  untold 
riches.  The  wealth  of  the  Indies  seemed  within 
his  grasp. 

Providential  Adjustments.  Providence  works  in 
strange  ways.     There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that 

I.  Cuba  has  borne  successively  the  names  of  Juana,  in  honor 
of  Prince  John,  son  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella ;  Fernandina, 
Santiago,  and  Ave  Maria,  coming  back  finally  to  the  aborigi- 
nal name,  Cuba  (pronounced  Coo'-ba  by  the  Cubans). 


8         ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

'che  flig-ht  of  a  flock  of  land  birds,  in  conjunction 
with  the  discontent  of  his  crews,  diverted  Colum- 
bus' course  so  that  he  first  sighted  and  landed  upon 
an  insignificant  island  instead  of  upon  the  Florida 
coast,  to  which  Spain  would  then  have  had  first 
claim  as  discoverer,  with  all  the  consequences  en- 
suing. Through  that  turn  southward  Spain  gained 
Cuba  and  San  Domingo  and  lost  North  America, 
while  Columbus  never  touched  the  mainland  at  all. 
Columbus  Honored  in  Cuba.  Leaving  the  isl- 
and, Columbus  j)assed  on  to  San  Domingo,  which 
he  named  Hispaniola,  and  fixed  upon  as  the  site  of 
a  colony  of  which  he  should  be  ruler  on  his  return 
from  Spain.  Thereafter  his  attention  was  centered 
upon  Hispaniola,  and  the  settlement  of  Cuba  was 
left  to  others.  But  Christopher  Columbus  was 
rightly  honored  as  the  discoverer,  and  his  name  has 
ever  been  held  in  highest  fame  in  the  island.  The 
statues  to  him  are  numerous,  and  in  Havana  the 
most  beautiful  temple  in  the  capital  is  the"Columbus 
Memorial,  while  the  cathedral  was  long  the  shrine 
of  pilgrims,  because  of  the  belief  that  his  remains 
were  buried  there. 

2.  Period  of  Conquest 
Cuba  Circumnavigated.  Although  Cuba  was  dis- 
covered in  1492,  and  its  southern  coast  was  ex- 
plored somewhat  by  Columbus  on  his  second  and 
third  voyages,  the  fact  that  it  was  an  island  was 
not  established  until  1508.  when  Sebastian  de 
Ocampo   sailed    around    it.     Three   years    later,    in 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  9 

151 1,  Diego  Columbus,  son  of  Christopher  and 
ruler  of  Hispaniola,  sent  a  wealthy  planter  named 
Diego  Velasquez  to  conquer  and  colonize  Cuba. 

The  First  Settlement.  Velasquez  landed  at  a 
point  near  Cape  Maysi,  with  a  force  of  only  three 
hundred  men,  and  easily  subjugated  the  peaceful 
and  unarmed  natives.  They  proved  to  be  inoffen- 
sive, hospitable,  timid,  fond  of  the  dance  and  of 
their  rude  music.  Their  government  was  simple 
but  sufficient.  There  were  nine  provinces,  with  a 
cacique,  or  governor,  for  each.^  No  record  remains 
of  their  laws  and  traditions,  but  they  kept  the  peace 
among  themselves  and  with  their  neighbors.  Their 
priests  were  fanatical  and  highly  superstitious,  but 
scarcely  more  so  than  the  Spanish  priests  who  suc- 
ceeded them.  They  did  not  practise  human  sacri- 
fices. They  welcomed  the  gospel  brought  to  them 
by  their  white  conquerors,  even  as  the  Cubans  of  to- 
day welcome  the  gospel  taught  by  the  Protestant 
missionaries. 

Bloodshed  and  Oppression.  The  treatment  of 
these  innocent  and  harmless  people  by  the  Spanish 
invaders  forms  one  of  the  blackest  chapters  of  co- 
lonial history.  The  story  is  told  in  detail  by  Las 
Casas,  a  Spanish  priest,  w^hose  soul  was  filled  with 
horror  at  the  inhumanity  of  his  countrymen,  and 
who  vainly  sought  to  save  the  Lidians.  He  was  a 
true  missionary  for  half  a  century,  and  is  the  re- 
deeming character  in  a  terrible  tragedy.     While  al- 


I.  The  present  nnnihcr  is  six:     Pinar  del  Rio,  Havana,  Ma- 
tan;:as,  Santa  Clara,  Camague}-,  and  Oriente. 


10       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

lowance  may  be  made  for  some  exaggeration  in  his 
narrative,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  truth  was  bad 
enough.*  Tradition  says  that  when  Chief  Hatuey, 
who  tried  to  defend  his  httle  territory,  fell  into 
Velasquez's  hands,  the  governor  had  him  burned 
alive  as  a  punishment.  During  his  torture  the  noble 
chief  was  asked  if  he  would  not  profess  the  faith, 
that  his  soul  might  go  to  heaven.  He  asked  in 
turn  if  any  Spaniards  would  be  there,  and  when 
told  that  they  would,  said:  "I  prefer  hell  to 
heaven,  if  there  are  Spaniards  in  heaven.'" 

Four  Centuries  of  Tyranny.  Thus  from  first  to 
last  the  four  centuries  of  Spain's  rule  in  Cuba  were 
marked  by  wanton  bloodshed,  tyranny,  inhumanity, 
and  nameless  horrors.  The  closing  atrocities  of  the 
reconccntrado  period  under  Weyler,  which  induced 
the  American  intervention  in  1898,  were  a  match 
for  the  savageries  of  the  early  period  that  wit- 
nessed the  annihilation  of  the  native  race,  whose 
numbers  have  been  estimated  at  from  t;»'0  hundred 
thousand  to  half  a  million  or  more. 


1.  Canini,  Four  Centuries  of  Spanish  Rule  in  Cuba.  Only- 
manuscript  copies  of  Las  Casas'  work,  The  Destruction  of  the 
Indies  (1539).  could  be  had  until  1875,  since  license  to  print 
such  an  exposure  of  Spanish  cruelty  could  not  be  obtained. 
He  died  in  1566;  was  the  first  priest  ordained  in  the  Indies 
(1510)  ;  and  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Seville  in  1544. 

2.  Velasquez  did  much  for  the  development  of  the  Spanish 
colony,  and  is  credited  with  more  humane  treatment  of  the 
natives  than  they  received  later  from  other  rulers.  When  they 
proved  too  weak  physically  to  endure  the  hard  work  put 
upon  them,  negroes  were  imported  from  Africa  with  the  con- 
sent of  the  Spanish  povernmcnt,  and  thus  slavery  was  early 
fastened  upon  the  island. 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  ii 

3.     Period  of  Colonization 

Cities  Founded.  The  first  town  founded  by  Vel- 
asquez was  Baracoa,  on  the  north  coast.  In  Bara- 
coa  the  first  cathedral  was  built,  and  the  place  was 
made  a  city  and  bishopric  as  early  as  1518;  but 
after  the  founding  of  Santiago,  on  the  south  shore, 
the  capital  and  bishopric  were  transferred  thither 
in  1522,  and  Santiago  de  Cuba  was  long  the  most 
important  city  of  the  island.  Velasquez  ruled  until 
his  death,  in  1524.  Besides  Baracoa  and  Santiago, 
he  founded  Trinidad,  Puerto  Principe  (now  Cama- 
guey),  Bayamo,  Sancti  Spiritus,  and  San  Cristobal 
de  la  Habana,  still  the  principal  cities  of  Cuba.  The 
last-named  settlement  changed  its  location  in  15 19, 
and  Habana  (Havana,  as  we  spell  it)  on  its  present 
site,  dates  back,  therefore,  to  within  seven  years  of 
the  first  Spanish  settlement  on  the  island. 

Changes  of  Governors  and  Population.  Velas- 
quez was  followed  by  the  adventurer  Hernandes  de 
Soto,  also  commissioned  as  governor  of  Florida, 
and  known  in  history  as  the  discoverer  of  the  Miss- 
issippi. He  was  one  of  the  most  treacherous  and 
gold-greedy  of  his  tyrannical  type,  and  it  was  good 
for  Cuba  that  he  decided  upon  the  conquest  of 
Florida,  and  after  inflicting  terrible  cruelties  upon 
the  hapless  natives  there,  found  his  grave  in  the 
great  river,  which  he  was  the  first  white  man  to 
see.  It  was  under  his  lieutenants  and  successors 
in  Havana  that  the  Cuban  natives  were  enslaved 


J2       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

and  rapidly  pined  to  death,  so  that  in  a  short  period 
they  were  practically  extinct.  Meanwhile  Cuba 
was  chiefly  regarded  as  a  good  base  for  expedi- 
tions to  Florida.  There  was  little  immigration 
from  Spain,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century  the  population  of  Cuba  was  placed  at  275,- 
ocx),  or  less  than  the  native  population  when  Vel- 
asquez first  landed  upon  its  shores  three  hundred 
years  before. 

Havana  Becomes  the  Capital.  In  1551  the  resi- 
dence of  the  governor  was  removed  from  Santiago 
to  Havana,  which  was  thenceforth  the  capital  and 
commercial  center.  Thirty  years  later,  in  1581, 
Spain  changed  the  title  of  the  ruler  to  captain-gen- 
eral, and  this  oflice  continued  until  the  extinction  of 
Spanish  power  in  1898.  Cuba's  fortune  and  fate 
depended  largely  upon  the  character  and  purposes 
of  this  official,  who  was  appointed  by  the  Spanish 
government  and  commonly  given  absolute  power 
over  the  lives  and  property  of  the  pegq^le.  Cuba 
became  the  rich  graft  land  for  Spanish  nobles  and 
others  who  sought  fortunes  abroad  to  make  up  for 
the  loss  or  lack  of  them  at  home. 

Attacks  on  Cuba.  When  Spain  was  at  war  with 
other  nations,  Cuba  occasionally  became  a  target. 
The  French  twice  attacked  Havana.  The  threat- 
ened attack  by  the  English  under  Drake,  in  1585, 
was  the  occasion  of  the  building  of  the  famous 
Moh'O  Castle  at  the  entrance  of  Havana's  finely 
protected  harbor,  together  with  the  battery  of  La 


MORRO    CASTLE    AND    I.IGIITITOUSE,    HAVANA 
COLUMBUS      I'AKK.      HAVANA 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  13 

Piinta    on    the   opposite   shore.      These    forts    long 
made  Havana  impregnable. 

A  Historical  Hinge.  But  nearly  two  centuries 
later  it  so  happened  that  western  Cuba  was  invaded 
and  conquered  by  the  British  (1762).  Twenty- 
three  hundred  American  soldiers  aided  in  that  vic- 
tory. That  was  a  crisis  in  Cuban  history.  On 
what  slight  hinges  a  people's  destiny  sometimes 
seems  to  swing.  Had  it  not  resulted,  in  the  course 
of  treaty-making  the  following  year,  that  Cuba  was 
restored  to  Spain  by  England,  how  different  the 
history  of  the  island  would  have  been !  Under  a 
colonial  policy  like  that  of  the  British  in  Jamaica 
and  the  Bahamas,  Cuba  might  easily  have  become 
one  of  the  richest  and  most  desirable  garden  spots 
on  the  globe;  and  the  long  period  of  revolution  and 
devastation  might  have  been  avoided.  Then,  too, 
the  domination  of  the  Roman  Catholic  hierarchy 
would  have  come  to  an  end,  and  the  religious  and 
social  life  of  the  people  would  have  been  changed 
as  radically  as  the  political  status  and  rule. 

4.     Period  of  Revolt 

Spanish  Monopoly.  Although  Spain's  treatment 
of  Cuba  was  uniformly  ungenerous  and  provoking, 
including  unfair  taxation  without  representation, 
unjust  restriction  of  trade,  and  uncalled-for  harsh- 
ness, the  colonists  endured  what  they  could  not  cure 
by  remonstrance,  and  saw  their  industrial  profits 
absorbed  by  Spain  and  her   representatives.     The 


14       ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

entire  system  of  administration  was  closely  kept  in 
Spanish  hands.  Ever}'  natural  desire  for  share  in 
the  government  and  for  personal  liberty  was  ig- 
nored. 

Trade  Restrictions.  Cuba  was  allowed  to  trade 
only  witli  Spain,  and  in  one  Spanish  port,  Cadiz,  at 
that.  Smuggling  became  an  established  institution 
under  this  embargo.  For  the  first  fifty  years  San- 
tiago was  the  only  port  of  Cuba  through  which 
merchandise  could  legally  be  imported  or  exported. 
When  Havana  was  made  the  capital  it  became  the 
sole  port  officially  recognized  for  oversea  trade, 
shutting  Santiago  out.  Not  until  1801  were  the 
island  ports  opened  to  foreign  trade,  and  in  1809 
foreign  trade  was  again  prohibited. 

Special  Taxes  and  Graft.  Aside  from  the  land 
taxation,  which  was  not  unreasonable,  there  were 
special  taxes  which  made  life  a  burden  and  vexa- 
tion. For  instance,  there  were  taxes  upon  citizen- 
ship, upon  all  dressed  meat  sent  out  from  slaughter- 
houses, upon  fuel  and  building  material,  upon  farm 
produce  brought  to  market,  and  horses  used  for 
pleasure  driving,  upon  railways  and  country  stage 
lines,  upon  all  forms  of  public  amusement,  and 
upon  official  paper  required  for  all  legal  documents. 
Then  there  were  professional  taxes  upon  lawyers, 
doctors,  and  brokers,  and  industrial  taxes  upon  car- 
penters, shoemakers,  and  masons.  Few  were  ex- 
empt from  some  form  of  sjiecial  taxation,  and  in 
the  end  the  people  who  could  least  afford  to  do  so 
had  to  pay  these  taxes.     The  system  was  whimsical 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  15 

and  arbitrary,  moreover,  and  abuses  were  flag-rant. 
Corruption  was  reduced  to  a  system,  and  graft  was 
ubiquitous. 

The  Liberal  Era.  In  1777  there  came  a  new 
era,  bright  with  promise.  Spain  gave  Cuba  an  in- 
dependent colonial  administration  under  a  captain- 
general.  This  seemed  too  good  to  be  true,  and  was 
too  good  to  last.  But  it  lasted  as  long  as  the  liberal 
government  did  in  Spain ;  and  during  the  first  quar- 
ter of  the  nineteenth  century  Cuba  enjoyed  its  gol- 
den age  of  government.  Something  like  a  provin- 
cial legislature  was  established,  a  militia  was  or- 
ganized, advisory  boards  and  committees  discussed 
public  questions  and  made  recommendations,  the 
right  to  bear  arms  was  recognized,  tribunals  passed 
upon  certain  questions,  the  press  was  free,  and 
Cuba  sent  delegates  to  the  Spanish  Cortes  or  Parlia- 
ment. 

Infamous  Royal  Order.  Had  not  the  liberal 
policy  been  changed,  seventy-five  years  of  blood- 
shed and  devastation  might  have  been  averted.  But 
in  1825,  on  May  29,  was  issued  the  famous  Royal 
Order'  of  tyrannical  Ferdinand  VH,  of  Spain, 
which  became  Cuba's  only  constitution  until  revolu- 

I.  The  Royal  Order  runs:  "Fully  investing  you  with  the 
whole  extent  of  power  which,  by  the  royal  ordinances,  is 
granted  to  the  governor  of  besieged  towns.  In  consequence 
thereof.  His  Majesty  most  amply  and  unrestrictedly  author- 
izes your  Excellency  not  only  to  remove  from  the  island  such 
persons,  holding  offices  from  government  or  not,  whatever 
their  ocupation,  rank,  class,  or  situation  in  life  may  be,  whose 
residence  there  you  may  believe  prejudicial,  or  whose  public 
or  private  conduct  may  appear  suspicious  to  you." 


i6       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

tions  had  drenched  the  island  with  blood.  This  or- 
der clothed  the  captain-general  with  the  fullest 
powers,  and  made  absolute  despotism  of  the  worst 
kind  possible,  while  the  people  were  without  safe- 
guards to  life  or  property  and  subject  to  the  whim 
of  a  captain-general. 

Iron  Censorship.  From  1825  forward,  there- 
fore, Cuba  was  not  only  under  martial  law,  but  in 
a  state  of  siege.  From  that  time  there  was  no 
legislative  assembly,  and  everything  in  the  nature 
of  popular  assemblies,  independent  tribunals,  right 
of  voting,  and  juries,  disappeared.  The  press,  thea- 
ters, and  opera  were  under  strict  censorship.  It 
was  almost  as  bad  as  in  Russia.  It  is  told  that 
when  the  opera  of  "I  Puritani"  was  played  in  Ha- 
vana, the  singers  w^ere  required  to  substitute  "Le- 
alta"  (Loyalty)  for  "Liberta,"  and  one  singer  who 
refused  to  do  so  was  fined  and  imprisoned.  This 
equals  the  Russian  censor  who  would  not  allow  the 
use  of  the  term  ''revolution  of  the  eartji"  to  remain 
in  the  astronomies,  for  fear  the  significance  of  the 
idea  of  revolution  might  dawn  upon  the  people. 
The  power  of  banishment,  without  trial  or  chance 
for  defense,  on  the  mere  will  of  the  captain-general, 
hung  over  every  Cuban.  A  Cuban  had  no  career 
open  to  him.  If  ever  conditions  were  prepared  for 
revolt,  they  were  prepared  in  this  hapless  island. 

Vexatious  Forms  of  Despotism.  Some  of  the  reg- 
ulations were  as  mortifying  and  vexatious  as  they 
were  ridiculous.  They  were  mere  encouragements 
to  grafting.     For  example,   no   man   migb.t   enter- 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  17 

tain  a  stranger  over  night  at  his  house  without  pre- 
vious notice  to  the  magistrate.  The  taxes  were 
enormous,  and  nothing  but  the  richness  of  the  soil 
made  it  possible  for  the  people  to  exist.  It  was  an 
unmixed  despotism  against  which  the  Cuban  lib- 
erators fought. 

Early  Local  Revolts.  The  spasmodic  attempts 
to  throw  off  the  Spanish  yoke  began  in  1823  under 
Simon  Bolivar.  The  expedition  of  General  Nar- 
cisso  Lopez  in  1859  was  of  especial  interest  to  this 
country  because  this  brilliant  Spanish  soldier  fitted 
out  his  privateer  at  one  of  our  ports,  sailed  from 
New  Orleans,  and  had  among  his  six  hundred  men 
a  hundred  and  fifty  Americans  led  by  the  gallant 
Colonel  Crittenden,  of  Kentucky.  The  affair  was 
mismanaged  from  the  start,  and  one  result  was  the 
shooting  in  cold  blood  of  the  large  body  of  Ameri- 
can filibusters  who  were  captured  at  sea ;  another 
result  was  the  capture  and  execution  of  Lopez,  who 
was  refused  a  soldier's  death  by  shooting,  and  put 
to  the  shame  of  the  garrote.  His  last  words  were, 
"Miicro  por  mi  amada  Cuba"  (I  die  for  my  be- 
loved Cuba).  While  this  effort  was  one  of  many 
failures,  it  made  a  deep  impression ;  and  the  massa- 
cre of  so  many  citizens  of  the  United  States  who 
had  surrendered  aroused  an  indignation  that  made 
it  easier  for  revolutionists  to  work  here  without 
detection  in  after  years. 

5.     Ten  Years'  War 
Mild  Demand  Unheeded.     Revolution    was    now 


i8       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

in  the  air.  From  1823  to  1868  there  was  a  condi- 
tion of  discontent,  ferment,  occasional  local  out- 
breaks, and  continual  efforts  to  secure  relief  from 
the  unjust  commercial  restrictions  and  oppressive 
taxation.  Spain  met  this  by  political  trickery,  eva- 
sion, promises  made  only  to  be  broken,  and  savage 
treatment  of  rebels.  When  Queen  Isabella,  in  1865, 
asked  Cuban  delegates  to  present  their  grievances 
to  a  royal  commission,  these  were  their  requests : 
(i)  The  establishment  of  a  constitutional  insular 
government;  (2)  freedom  of  the  press;  (3)  right 
of  petition  and  assembly;  (4)  the  right  of  Cubans 
to  hold  office  in  Cuba,  and  (5)  Cuban  representa- 
tion in  the  Cortes.  This  was  not  going  too  far. 
Considering  the  knowledge  which  the  Cubans  had 
gained  of  our  American  institutions  and  liberties 
through  education  and  travel  in  the  United  States, 
the  demands  were  mild  enough.  But  they  were 
wholly  unheeded  by  the  Spanish  government. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  had  these  moderate  re- 
quests been  granted,  and  the  reforms  carried  into 
effect,  Cuba  would  still  be  a  Spanish  colony ;  for 
the  feeling  of  loyalty,  that  led  to  the  phrase  "the 
ever-loyal  isle,"  was  then  very  strong.  The  idea 
of  a  Cuban  republic  was  not  unknown,  but  it  was 
regarded  as  chimerical. 

Cuban  Republic  Proclaimed.  The  Cubans  had 
reached  the  limit  of  their  patience,  but  Spain  was 
blind  to  the  fact,  and  persisted  in  the  discredited 
methods.  There  was  a  lil)eral  club  in  Havana  and 
a  Cuban  junta  in  New  York,  raising  money  for  tiie 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  19 

cause.  On  the  loth  of  October,  1868,  the  cry  of 
Cuban  independence  \vas  raised  at  Yara,  Province 
of  Puerto  Principe  (now  Camaguey),  by  Carlos 
IManuel  Cespedes  and  his  comrades.  He  was  a 
leader  in  whom  the  Cubans  had  confidence.  April 
10,  1869,  the  constitution  of  the  Cuban  Republic 
was  proclaimed,  and  the  guerilla  war  was  on. 

Slavery  Abolished.  One  of  the  first  steps  of  the 
insurrection,  even  before  the  proclamation  of  the 
constitution,  was  the  abolition  of  slavery — Febru- 
ary 26,  1869 — a  date  to  be  remembered.  While 
it  was  nearly  twenty  years  prior  to  the  Spanish 
decree  abolishing  slavery,  the  Cubans  composing 
their  Assembly  of  Representatives  which  preceded 
the  so-called  Republic  should  have  the  credit  of  the 
first  emancipation  proclamation,  even  if  incapable 
of  enforcing  it.  Nor  is  it  to  be  doubted  that  this 
action  of  the  insurgents  eventuated  in  the  Spanish 
decree. 

Results  of  the  Ten  Years'  Struggle.  Cespedes 
was  chosen  as  first  President,  and  official  recogni- 
tion was  asked  of  the  United  States.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  recognize  a  republic  which  had  no  capital, 
no  official  residence,  no  permanent  headquarters ; 
a  government  constantly  on  the  move,  dating  or- 
ders and  proclamations  from  the  field.  The  insur- 
gents were  roving  bands,  subsisting  on  the  country, 
skilful  in  evading  the  Spanish  troops  when  they 
could  not  entrap  them  into  ambuscades,  fighting  in 
guerilla  fashion,  burning  the  sugar  fields,  destroy- 
ing the  crops,  bent  on  making  a  ruin  of  the  island 


20       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

if  that  were  the  only  way  to  drive  the  Spanish 
soldiery  out  of  it.  There  were  harsh  orders  on  both 
sides,  and  the  old  stories  of  brutality  and  murder 
could  be  truthfully  repeated  of  this  struggle.  But 
the  struggle  went  on.  Spanish  troops  were  sent 
over  in  large  numbers — 145,000  of  them,  enough 
to  sweep  the  whole  island ;  yet  the  insurgents  man- 
aged to  elude,  and  aggravate,  and  wear  out  their 
foe;  and  at  the  end  of  ten  long  years  Spain  had  to 
promise  the  asked-for  reforms  and  inaugurate  a 
new  policy  in  order  to  effect  a  peace.  This  peace 
was  sealed  by  the  treaty  of  Zanjon,  which  was 
made  on  the  part  of  the  insurgents  by  Maximo  Go- 
mez, who  had  dexeloped  as  the  hero  leader. 

Promised  Reforms.  Governor-general  Campos, 
the  most  peaceable  and  kindly  ruler  ever  sent  by 
Spain  to  Cuba,  had  come  bearing  the  olive-branch 
of  peace.  He  was  authorized  to  promise  the  re- 
forms asked  for,  in  case  hostilities  ceased,  namely : 
(i)  the  political  and  administrative  organization  of 
Cuba;  (2)  pardon  for  political  offenses;  (3)  free- 
dom of  persons  under  indictment;  (4)  amnesty  for 
deserters;  (5)  the  emancipation  of  the  coolies  and 
slaves  serving  in  the  rebel  ranks;  (6)  and  free  trans- 
portation for  those  desirous  of  leaving  the  island. 
Nominally  Spain  carried  out  these  promises  and 
even  went  further.  Amnesty  was  granted  to  all. 
and  the  Spanish  constitution  was  extended  to  Cuba. 
Under  this  Cubans  were  granted  the  privilege  of 
peaceable  assembly,  also  suffrage,  freedom  of  speech 
and  of  worship,  freedom  o\  tiie  press,  right  of  pe- 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  21 

tition  and  eligibility  to  all  pu1)lic  offices.  Provision 
was  also  made  for  Cuban  representation  in  the  Cor- 
tes. These  were  fine  promises  indeed,  but  not  one 
of  them  was  kept!  Things  went  from  bad  to  worse. 
There  was  no  security  of  person  or  property."  Com- 
merce was  crippled,  courts  were  a  farce,  freedom 
of  speech,  press,  or  religion  was  unknown.  The 
Cubans  saw  no  hope  save  in  resort  once  more  to 
revolution.  The  Ten  Years'  War  is  said  to  have  cost 
Spain  $700,000,000  and  more  than  200,000  lives. 

The  "Virginius"  Affair.  During  the  Ten  Years' 
War  occurred  the  Virginiiis  affair,  which  gave  to 
Captain  Joseph  Fry  the  name  of  "the  Cuban  Mar- 
tyr," and  deeply  incensed  our  people  against  Spain. 
Nations  must  observe  international  rights  and  ob- 
ligations, however,  and  it  is  doubtless  fortunate  for 
the  welfare  of  the  world  at  large  that  popular  wrath 
and  resentment  are  held  in  restraint  by  law. 

Blood  Thicker  than  Water.  The  steamer  Fir- 
giniiis  sailed  from  New  York  in  October,  1870,  with 
clearance  papers  for  Curacoa,  carrying  a  cargo  of 
bread-stuffs,  saddlery,  and  clothing,  if  her  papers 
were  credible.  She  was  captured  three  years  later, 
upon  the  high  seas,  by  the  Spanish  ship  Tornado. 
She  had  on  board  155  people,  nominally  as  crew 
and  passengers.  These  were  taken  to  Santiago, 
where  fifty-three,  many  of  them  Americans,  were 
summarily  shot.     That  all  of  them  were  not  put  to 

I  For  a  strong  statement  of  the  situation,  see  letter  of 
Senor  Palma  to  Secretary  of  State  Olney,  Dec.  7,  1895,  given 
in  the  Government  Report  on  Cuba. 


22       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

death  was  due,  not  to  prompt  action  on  the  part  of 
our  government,  but  to  the  humanity  and  boldness 
of  Captain  Sir  Lampton  Lorraine,  of  the  British 
steamer  Niobc,  who  heard  of  the  shooting  of  Cap- 
tain Fry,  steamed  at  full  speed  from  Jamaica  to 
Santiago,  and  demanded,  in  the  name  of  England 
and  the  United  States,  that  the  massacre  be  stopped, 
threatening  to  bombard  the  city  if  his  demand  was 
not  heeded.  His  dash  saved  the  lives  of  the  remain- 
ing prisoners,  and  he  was  later  presented  with  a  sil- 
ver brick  from  Nevada  inscribed,  "Blood  is  thicker 
than  water."  The  government  investigation  which 
followed  showed  that  the  Virginius  carried  the 
American  flag  in  violation  of  the  maritime  laws  of 
the  United  States,  hence  by  the  seizure  Spain  had 
not  offered  offense  or  insult  to  the  American  flag. 
The  ship  was  delivered  over  to  American  naval  offi- 
cers and  crew ;  but  ship  and  machinery  were  in  bad 
shape,  and  in  a  heavy  gale  near  Cape  Fear  the  T'lV- 
giniits  went  to  the  bottom. 

Indemnity  and  Sympathy.  The  question  of  in- 
demnity remained  for  what  Caleb  Cushing,  Minister 
to  Spain,  denounced  in  his  letter  to  the  Spanish  au- 
thorities as  "a  dreadful,  a  savage,  act,"  "the  inhu- 
man slaugliter  in  cold  blood  of  fifty-three  human 
beings,  a  large  number  of  them  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  shot  without  lawful  trial,  without  any 
valid  pretension  of  authority,  and  to  the  horror  of 
the  whole  civilized  world."  In  1875  Spain  agreed 
to  pay  the  United  States  $80,000  for  the  "relief  of 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  23 

the  families  or  persons  of  the  ship's  company  and 
passengers"  of  the  Virginiiis. 

6.  Cuban  Republic 
Unbearable  Exploitation.  The  peace  of  Zanjon 
was  only  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  not  a  real  peace. 
Spain  had  granted,  on  paper,  what  the  revolutionists 
demanded,  but  carrying  out  the  promises  made  was 
another  matter,  and  the  Cubans  felt  that  they  had 
been  tricked  once  more.  The  laws  were  all  right, 
but  the  governor-general  was  still  entrusted  with  au- 
tocratic power,  and  laws  were  of  small  account  to 
him.  A  serious  fall  in  the  price  of  sugar,  losses 
through  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  1887,  combined 
with  political  oppression,  fostered  the  spirit  of  revo- 
lution, and  rendered  another  outbreak  certain. 
Could  the  people  be  greatly  blamed  ?  When  the  rev- 
enues, from  1893  to  1898,  under  excessive  taxation 
and  the  Havana  lottery,  averaged  about  twenty-five 
millions  of  dollars  per  annum,  see  what  became  of 
them:  Ten  and  a  half  millions  went  to  Spain  to 
pay  the  interest  on  the  Cuban  debt ;  twelve  millions 
were  allotted  for  the  support  of  the  Spanish-Cuban 
army  and  navy  and  the  Cuban  government  in  all  its 
branches,  and  the  remaining  two  and  a  half  millions 
were  allowed  for  public  works,  education,  and  the 
general  improvement  of  the  island.  As  a  result  of 
excessive  expenditures  and  consequent  deficits  the 
debt  of  Cuba  in  1897  aggregated  about  $400,000,- 
000,  or  $283.54  per  capita — more  than  three  times 


24         ADVANCE  IX  THE  ANTILLES 

as  large  as  the  per  capita  debt  of  Spain,  and  much 
larger  than  the  per  capita  debt  of  any  other  Euro- 
pean country. 

Final  War  of  Liberation.  There  was  to  be  one 
more  war — a  national  revolution  this  time.  Jose 
Marti,  one  of  the  noblest  types  of  Cuban  manhood, 
was  the  chief  organizer  of  the  revolution  of  1895. 
He  had  for  many  years  been  a  resident  of  New 
York,  devoting  himself  to  literature  and  art,  and 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  strike  a  blow  for  his  coun- 
try's freedom  from  Spain.  He  tried  to  start  an 
expedition  from  Florida,  but  was  stopped  by  the 
United  States  authorities  at  Eernandina,  and  then 
went  to  San  Domingo,  where  Maximo  Gomez,  chief 
leader  in  the  Ten  Years'  War,  was  living.  These 
two  men  agreed  that  the  time  had  come  for  revolu- 
tion, and  with  a  small  force  they  landed  on  the  island 
and  raised  the  flag  of  th.e  Cuban  Republic  at  Cubi- 
tas,  a  small  town  among  the  mountains  of  Puerto 
Principe  province.  The  last  act  in^he  Spanish 
tragedy  had  begun,  and  when  it  closed  the  Spanish 
yellow  and  red  had  given  place  to  the  Cuban  and 
American  red,  white,  and  blue.  The  flag  adopted 
by  the  Cuban  Republic  is  very  beautiful,  and  in  view 
of  Cuba's  relations  not  inappropriately  combines  our 
colors.  The  broad  bars  of  blue  and  white  meet  at 
the  left  the  red  triangle  witli  its  single  white  star. 
Doubtless  it  was  a  bold  thing  to  raise  it,  when  there 
were  70,000  Spanish  regulars  and  volunteers  on  the 
island,  and  more  to  come  as  fast  as  Spain  could 
send  them;  while  the  rebel  forces  scarcely  deserved 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  25 

the  name  of  troops,  and  might  easily  have  excited  in 
any  regularly  drilled  and  properly  accoutred  army 
the  contempt  which  the  Spanish  affected  to  feel  for 
them. 

Two  Factors  Enlisting  United  States.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  enter  here  into  the  details  of  the  four 
years'  struggle  that  ended  Spanish  dominion  in  Cuba 
through  the  medium  of  United  States  intervention. 
The  two  factors  which  induced  our  war  with  Spain 
in  behalf  of  Cuba  were:  (i)  the  inhumanities  con- 
nected with  the  rcconccntrado^  decree  of  Governor- 
general  Weyler,  which  caused  indescribable  suffer- 
ing to  thousands  of  innocent  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, and  the  death  of  thousands  of  them;  and  (2) 
the  destruction  of  the  Maine  in  Havana  harbor. 
The  United  States,  through  President  Cleveland, 
once  more  offered  its  services  to  Spain,  to  secure 
peace,  but  without  avail.'  In  1897  the  reports  of 
starvation  and  outrages  through  reconcentration 
were  so  appalling  that  Congress  appropriated  $50,- 
000  for  supplies  for  the  sufferers,  many  of  whom 
claimed  to  be  American  citizens.  The  recall  of  Gov- 
ernor-general Weyler  and  the  revocation  of  his  in- 

1.  For  the  story  of  rcconccntrado  horrors,  see  Stephen 
EonsaH's  The  Real  Condition  of  Cuba  To-day.  The  govern- 
ment investigation  furnishes  a  record  of  the  blackest  kind. 
See  Affairs  in  Cuba,  printed  by  the  U.  S.  Government  in  1898. 

2.  The  United  States  lias  always  been  interested  in  Cuba, 
and  we  find  the  question  of  its  annexation  discussed  as  early 
as  the  presidency  of  John  Quincy  Adams,  in  1825.  President 
Polk  proposed  to  buy  the  island  from  Spain  in  1848,  but  the 
offer  was  spurned,  as  was  that  of  President  Grant  during  the 
Ten  Years'  War  to  use  the  good  ofiices  of  the  government  to 
terminate  the  costly  struggle. 


26       ADVANXE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

human  edict  \vere  also  asked  for  by  the  United 
States ;  but  while  Spain  received  the  requests  favor- 
ably, nothing  was  done,  Reconcentration  was  like 
the  extermination  of  the  early  days.  Spain  was 
again  repeating  her  inhumanity,  only  this  time  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  with  a  Christian  nation  near  by 
to  cry  halt.  In  his  message  of  December,  1897, 
President  McKinley  said  of  this  system:  "It  was 
not  civilized  warfare;  it  was  extermination.  The 
only  peace  it  could  beget  was  that  of  the  wilderness 
and  the  grave." 

Final  Decision  of  President  McKinley,  Public 
sentiment  was  thoroughly  aroused  when  the  news 
came  of  the  blowing  up  of  the  United  States  war- 
ship Maine  that  had  been  sent  to  Cuba  to  protect 
our  citizens.  This  was  February  15,  1898.  A 
month  was  taken  for  investigation,  and  the  United 
States  Naval  Board  reported  that  the  ship  had  been 
blown  up  from  the  outside.  President  McKinley 
sought  to  avoid  war  by  diplomacy,  butj;he  cruelties 
had  gone  too  far,  and  on  April  11  the  President 
asked  Congress  for  authority  to  end  the  war  and 
secure  in  Cuba  the  establishment  of  a  stable  govern- 
ment capable  of  maintaining  order  and  observing  its 
international  ol)ligations. 

Spain's  Sway  Broken.  This  was,  in  effect,  a  dec- 
laration of  war  against  Spain,  made  purely  in  be- 
half of  liberty  and  humanity  to  secure  peace  and 
freedom  to  a  neigliboring  and  helpless  people.  The 
contest  was  mercifully  brief.  The  war  began  April 
21.     On  J\lay  i  Admiral  Dewey  destroyed  the  Span- 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  27 

ish  fleet  in  Manila  Bay,  and  the  Philippines  became 
our  possessions.  June  14  the  United  States  forces 
sailed  from  Fort  Tampa,  Florida,  for  Santiago  de 
Cuba,  arrived  June  20,  defeated  the  Spanish  troops 
at  San  Juan  on  July  i  and  2,  and  invested  Santiago. 
On  the  morning  of  July  3  the  Spanish  fleet,  under 
Admiral  Cervera,  attempted  to  escape  from  San- 
tiago harbor,  where  it  had  been  bottled  up,  and  was 
destroyed  totally.  A  fortnight  afterward  Santiago 
capitulated,  and  in  less  than  a  month  later,  August 
12,  cessation  of  hostilities  was  arranged,  Porto  Rico 
meanwhile  having  been  taken  by  the  United  States. 
December  10  the  treaty  of  peace  with  Spain  was 
signed  at  Paris,  ratified  by  March  19  following,  and 
proclaimed  in  Washington  April  11,  1899. 

Cuba  Free.  And  thus  at  last  Cuba  was  to  be  free, 
and  to  maintain  a  government  of  her  own  just  as 
soon  as  she  could  prove  her  ability  to  do  it.  After 
nearly  four  hundred  years  of  Spanish  dominion,  the 
daybreak  of  the  new  order  had  come. 

New  World  Relations  of  United  States.  In  this 
war  the  bravery  and  individual  high  quality  of  the 
United  States  army  and  navy  were  conspicuous, 
wdiile  at  the  same  time  the  campaign  was  conducted 
with  a  humanity  that  showed  in  marked  contrast  to 
the  methods  pursued  by  the  Spanish  in  their  treat- 
ment of  the  hapless  Cubans.  The  response  to  Presi- 
dent McKinley's  call  for  volunteers  was  immediate 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  ten  times  the 
number  needed  were  anxious  to  enlist.  One  inci- 
dental result  of  most  gratifving  character  was  the 


28       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

evidence  that  sectionalism  faded  away  in  presence 
of  a  national  crisis.  North  and  South  were  as  one, 
and  it  was  felt  that  a  new  bond  had  been  formed 
by  the  united  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  rescue  of 
the  Cubans  from  oppression.  It  was  a  humanitarian 
war,  waged  without  thought  of  conquest,  and  the 
declarations  of  our  government  in  that  respect  have 
been  strictly  carried  out.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
course  of  the  United  States  in  this  whole  matter 
has  placed  our  country  in  a  new  light  before  the 
world.  That  it  made  us  a  world  power,  with  old- 
world  possessions,  was  among  the  unforeseen  con- 
sequences of  righteous  action,  and  must  be  regarded 
by  Christians  as  in  the  line  which  Providence  has 
marked  out  for  our  nation.  The  effects  of  our  new 
position  upon  our  missionary  operations  cannot 
easily  be  estimated.  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  the  Phil- 
ippine Islands  at  once  came  within  the  care  of 
American  Protestantism  as  lands  to  be  evangelized 
and  raised  to  a  new  plane  of  life  and^iope.  How 
this  great  obligation  has  been  met  will  appear,  so 
far  as  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  are  concerned,  in  these 
pages.  A  free  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  formed  the 
open  door  of  opportunity,  and  there  were  mission- 
ary agencies  ready  to  enter. 

SUGGESTIONS    FOR   USING   THE   QUESTIONS 

These  questions  have  been  prepared  for  the  purpose  of 
suggesting  some  new  lines  of  thought  that  might  not  occur 
to  the  leader.  They  are  not  exhaustive,  and  every  leader 
should  study  to  use  or  replace  according  to  his  preference. 
Those  marked    *   niny   afFord   an   opportunity   for   discussion. 


UNDER    SPANISH    RULE  29 

Other  qivestions  demanding  mere  memorj'  tests  for  replj'  can 
easily  be  added. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  I 

Aim  :    To  Show  Why  the  Cubans  Resisted  Spanish  Rule 

1.  What  country  was  Cohimlms  seeking  when  he  dis- 
covered Cuba? 

2.  Was  his  motive  of  discovery  missionary  or  mone- 
tary ? 

3.  ]^o  you  consider  it  a  blessing  to  North  America  that 
Columbus    did   not    discover    this    continent?      Why? 

4.  Describe  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  natives. 

5.  Who  was  the  conqueror  of  the  island? 

6.*  Were  the  methods  of  conquest  used  by  Velasquez 
among  the  Indians  milder  than  those  used  liy  the 
early  settlers  in  North  America? 

7.  What  were  some  of  the  principal  effects  of  coloniza- 
tion upon  the  natives? 

8.  Enumerate  several  restrictions  that  caused  discontent 
,  among  the  Cubans. 

9.  Who  was  the  leader  in  the  early  revolts? 

10.  From  what  country  did  the  rebels  get  most  en- 
couragement? 

11.  What  distinct  issues  were  they  forced  to  face  that 
caused  the  first  revolt? 

12.*  Was  it  right  for  the  Americans  to  encourage  them 
in  their  struggle  for  liberty? 

13.  By  what  means  were  the  rebels  defeated? 

14.  What  were  some  of  the  demands  that  the  insur- 
gents made? 

15.  Were  the  demands  reasonable  under  the  circum- 
stances? 

16.  Could  you  be  loyal  to  a  nation  that  repudiated  its 
promised  reforms? 

17.  Under  the  circumstances,  do  you  feel  that  the  Cubans 
were  justified  in  revolting? 


30       ADVANCE   IN    THE    ANTILLES 

i8.  What  was  the  situation  between  Spain  and  Cuba 
when  the  United  States  intervened? 

19.*  What  right  did  the  United  States  have  to  intervene 
in  behalf  of  the  Cubans? 

20.*  What  responsibility  rests  upon  the  United  States  for 
the   future  welfare  of  Cuba? 

21.  Do  we  owe  Cuba  something  more  than  the  establish- 
ment of  a  stable  government? 

22.*  What  do  we  as  Christians  owe  Cuba? 

REFERENCES   FOR  ADVANCED   STUDY 
CHAPTER  I 

Conditions  under  Spanish  Rule. 

Bonsai,  The  Real  Condition  of  Cuba  To-day,  Parts  I,  II. 

Cabrera,  "Spanish  Extortions  from  Cuba,"  Gunton's 
Magazine,  January,  1897. 

Draper,  The  Rescue  of  Cuba,  II. 

Fiske,  The  West  Indies,  XIII. 

Halstead,  The  Story  of  Cuba,  XXXI,  XXXII. 

Hazeltine,  "What  Shall  be  Done  About  Cuba?"  North 
American  Review,  December,   1896. 

Lee,  "Cuba  Under  Spanish  Rule,"  McClure's  Magazine, 
June,  1899. 

Musgrave,  "The  Cuban  Insurrection,"  Coirtemporary  Re- 
view, July,   1898. 

Robinson,   Cuba  and  the   Intervention,   I. 

Rowan,  The  Island  of  Cuba.  III.  IV. 

Taylor,  "A  Review  of  the  Cuban  Question,"  North  Am- 
erican Review,  November,  1897. 


CUBA  LIBRE 


31 


In  1828  Thomas  Jefferson  wrote:  "I  have  ever  looked  on 
Cuba  as  the  most  interesting  addition  wliich  could  ever  be 
made  to  our  system  of  States.  The  control  which,  with  Florida 
Point,  this  island  would  give  us  over  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
the  countries  and  isthmus  bordering  on  it,  would  fill  up  the 
measure  of  our  political  well-being.  Her  addition  to  our  con- 
federacy is  exactly  what  is  wanting  to  advance  our  power  as  a 
nation  to  the  pomt  of  its  utmost  interest." 

In  1848  James  Buchanan,  then  Secretary  of  State,  wrote: 
"Under  the  government  of  the  United  States,  Cuba  would  be- 
come the  richest  and  most  fertile  island,  of  the  same  extent, 
throughout  the  world." 

Let  Cuba  cease  to  be  the  feeding  place  for  the  hungry  ad- 
venturers who  cross  the  Atlantic  to  obtain  quickly  and  easily  a 
fortune  through  their  official  stations.  Let  the  Cubans  organize 
their  own  administration,  and  all  that  lowers  the  dignity  and 
besmirches  the  good  name  of  the  country  will  vanish  in  the 
glory  of  the  nation  and  the  well-being  of  its  people. 

— Cabrera 

The  United  States  is  a  continuous  intervening  power.  That 
position  is  both  for  to-day  and  for  all  time  to  come.  It  should 
also  be  a  continuous  protecting  power  for  CTuba  and  for  for- 
eign subjects  therein,  whatever  their  nationality.  In  every 
view  the  American  nation  has  a  monil  protectorate  over  Cuba. 
To-day  commercialism  antagonizes  the  instinct  of  nationality 
in  Cuba.  The  interests  of  the  American  people  seem  to  lie 
with  the  interests  of  the  Cuban  people. 

— Charles   il.    Pepper 


32 


II 

CUBA  LIBRE 

I.     Provisional  Military  Regime 

United  States  Replaces  Spain.  The  stars  and 
stripes  were  officially  raised  for  the  first  time  on 
Cuban  soil  over  the  palace  of  the  Spanish  governor 
in  Santiago  de  Cuba  on  July  17,  1898.  The  nego- 
tiations had  taken  place  the  day  previous  under  the 
famous  Peace  Tree,  not  far  from  the  San  Juan  bat- 
tlefield, where  Colonel  Roosevelt  of  the  Rough 
Riders  won  his  field  spurs.  Now  was  to  follow  the 
formal  surrender.  That  was  a  memorable  scene, 
as  it  marked  the  beginning  of  the  new  era  in  Cuba. 
The  plaza  in  front  of  the  palace  was  literally  packed 
with  people — soldiers  and  civilians,  Spanish,  Cuban, 
and  American.  The  Spanish  and  United  States  sol- 
diers, in  full  uniform,  gave  brilliancy  to  the  occa- 
sion. Spanish  courtesy  was  followed  to  the  letter. 
Nothing  was  lacking  in  the  military  pageant.  Ex- 
actly as  the  clock  began  striking  twelve  noon  the 
flag  we  love  was  swiftly  raised  to  the  top  of  the 
staff  mast  above  the  "Vizr  Alfonso  XIII,  on  the 
palace  fagade.  The  new  legend  was  to  be  "Vive 
Cuba  Libre"  The  opening  strains  of  "The  Star- 
32 


34       ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

Spangled  Banner"  filled  the  air,  and  every  hat  came 
off.  Then  the  band  followed  with  "Rally  Round 
the  V\ag,  Boys,"  and  the  American  soldiers  broke 
into  rousing  volleys  of  cheers.  The  American  oc- 
cupation of  the  island  began  that  day  and  was  com- 
plete on  the  first  day  of  January,  1899,  when  Spain 
yielded  sovereignty  by  the  surrender  and  evacuation 
of  Havana,  the  seat  of  government.  The  basis  of 
this  surrender  was  the  military  power  of  the  United 
States.  The  Cubans  had  no  further  relations  with 
Spain.  They  had  now  to  deal  with  the  United 
States. 

Mutual  Misunderstanding.  The  first  thing  to 
which  the  Cubans  had  to  accustom  themselves  was 
the  unpalatable  fact  that  American  intervention  in- 
volved American  occupation  and  reconstruction  un- 
til such  time  as  the  people  should  prove  themselves 
capable  of  setting  up  and  maintaining  a  govern- 
ment of  their  own.  The  Cubans  had  been  fighting 
long  for  a  Cuban  control  of  Cuba,  a:iKl  it  is  not 
strange,  either  that  they  disliked  any  other  control, 
or  that  they  were  suspicious  lest  the  Americans 
should  find  occupancy  so  pleasant  and  profitable  that 
they  might  decide  to  stay.  Remembering  their  bit- 
ter past,  we  can  forgive  the  Cubans  if  they  did  not 
receive  cordially  the  American  officers  appointed  to 
govern  them.  They  did  not  know  us  any  better 
than  we  knew  them;  and  that  has  been  the  chief 
cause  of  whatever  friction  has  arisen.  The  Cubans 
acted  as  though  they  thought  that  all  this  country 
had  to  do  was  to  turn  the  island  over  to  them,  to 


CUBA    LIBRE  35 

do  with  it  as  they  pleased.  In  undertaking  war  on 
their  behalf,  our  government  had  a  quite  different 
idea  as  to  its  duty  in  the  matter. 

Bill  of  Rights  Issued.  The  kindly  intentions  of 
the  United  States  were  soon  made  clear.  The  first 
measure  of  General  Leonard  Wood,  who  was  made 
commander-in-chief  and  military  governor  of  San- 
tiago province,  was  to  issue  a  bill  of  rights,  or  pro- 
visional constitution,  which  guaranteed  :  ( i )  the 
right  of  assembly,  petition,  and  remonstrance;  (2) 
freedom  of  worship  according  to  individual  con- 
science; (3)  courts  of  justice  open  to  all;  (4)  the 
right  to  a  hearing  by  the  accused  in  criminal  cases ; 
(5)  criminal  procedure  in  accordance  with  our  law, 
safeguarding  the  rights  of  citizens  in  business,  per- 
son, papers,  house,  and  effects;  (6)  right  of  free 
printing  and  writing,  subject  to  responsibility  for 
the  abuse  of  the  privilege.  Among  the  first  munici- 
pal orders  was  one  prohibiting  gambling  and  lot- 
teries. 

Military  Control.  When  the  American  control 
covered  the  whole  island,  Major-general  John  R. 
Brooke  was  appointed  military  governor,  and  all 
branches  of  administration  were  placed  in  the  hands 
of  army  officers.  An  advisory  cabinet  of  four  na- 
tive Cubans  was  selected  by  Governor  Brooke,  how- 
ever, and  thus  the  training  of  leaders  for  official 
duties  began.  In  his  first  proclamation  the  governor 
declared  that  the  purpose  of  the  provisional  govern- 
ment was  "to  give  protection  to  the  people,  security 
to  person  and  property,  to  restore  confidence,  to  en- 


36       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

courage  the  people  to  resume  the  pursuits  of  peace, 
to  build  up  waste  plantations,  to  resume  commercial 
traffic,  and  to  afford  full  protection  in  the  exercise 
of  all  civil  and  religious  rights."  The  people  were 
invited  to  cooperate  in  these  objects,  which  cer- 
tainly were  all  in  their  favor.  They  responded  as 
well  as  ought  to  have  been  expected.  A  military 
government  is  not  exactly  of  the  gentlest  or  most 
conciliatory  kind,  and  there  is  no  question  that  the 
American  soldiers  looked  with  ill-concealed  contempt 
upon  the  Cubans,  whether  soldiers  or  civilians. 
More  than  that,  the  very  w^orst  class  of  sharpers, 
criminals,  and  speculators  flocked  into  Havana  to 
take  advantage  of  any  opportunities  that  came,  thus 
greatly  increasing  the  crime  and  corruption  in  the 
capital,  and  creating  a  most  unfavorable  impression.^ 
It  is  a  pity  that  the  military  rigor  could  not  have 
been  applied  more  diligently  in  their  direction. 

Sanitary  Improvements.  The-n  the  task  of  recon- 
struction was  formidable  and  beset  with  difficulties. 
Conditions  called  for  radical  changes,  and  radical 
changes  were  made;  but  in  the  making  it  was  not 
constantly  remembered,  as  doubtless  it  should  have 
been,  that  the  Cuban  people  must  be  taken  into  ac- 
count as  having  rights  and  paramount  interests. 
Sanitary  improvements  were  imperatively  needed 
first  of  all.  Cuba  had  long  been  a  menace  to  the 
physical  welfare  of  the  United  States  by  reason  of 
yellow  fever.  While  the  Cubans,  strangely  enough, 
are  immune  to  yellow  fever,  and  had  not  been  in- 

I.  C.  M.  Pepper,  To-morrozi.'  in  Cuba,  337  ff. 


CUBA    LIBRE  37 

terested  in  its  prevention  because  it  killed  off  the 
hated  Spaniards,  our  government  now  had  its  op- 
portunity to  rid  itself  of  the  pest  and  peril,  and  im- 
mediately the  officials  of  the  Intervention  Govern- 
ment appointed  by  the  United  States  and  maintained 
by  military  power,  began  the  work  of  cleaning  up 
the  cities,  establishing  a  system  of  sewerage  and 
water  supply,  and  putting  Havana,  Santiago,  and 
the  other  principal  points  under  health  rules  and 
regulations  of  the  most  approved  order. 

Roads  and  Bridges  Built.  Naturally,  the  Cu- 
bans did  not  regard  this  proceeding  with  universal 
favor,  especially  as  it  was  realized  that  the  Ameri- 
can projects  were  expensive  and  would  saddle  a 
debt  of  large  dimensions  upon  the  new  Cuban  Re- 
public when  it  got  under  way.  But  there  was  noth- 
ing to  do  save  submit,  with  as  good  grace  as  possi- 
ble. And  certainly  the  United  States  officials  did 
the  job  well.  They  not  only  put  the  cities  and 
towns  in  holiday  trim,  introducing  all  sorts  of  in- 
novations and  insisting  upon  their  adoption,  but 
they  built  roads  and  bridges,  and  thus  immeasura- 
bly improved  the  facilities  of  transportation.  More 
miles  of  good  roads  were  constructed  in  the  two 
years  after  the  war,  under  the  vigorous  superin- 
tendence of  General  Wood,  who  succeeded  General 
Brooke  as  military  governor,  than  in  all  Spain's 
four  centuries  of  control.  It  should  further  be  said 
that  in  this  work,  really  indispensable  to  the  future 
welfare  and  development  of  the  island,  employment 
was  given  to  tens  of  thousands  of  poverty-stricken 


38       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Cubans  who  needed  work  rather  than  charity,  for 
their  own  sake,  while  our  soldiers  also  were  profit- 
ably employed  in  construction  instead  of  suffering 
the  demoralization  of  idleness.  Yellow  fever,  more- 
over, was  effectually  stamped  out,  and  is  no  longer 
to  be  feared,  as  its  prevention  is  known  and  has 
been  provided  for. 

Other  Beneficial  Steps.  During  this  period  also 
(i)  a  public  school  system  was  established;  (2)  the 
postal  and  telegraph  systems  were  greatly  ex- 
tended; (3)  railway  construction  was  pushed  for- 
ward; (4)  the  code  of  civil  and  criminal  laws  was 
revised,  so  that  it  was  possible  for  a  Cuban  to  get 
justice,  as  it  was  not  under  the  Spanish  code  in- 
geniously administered  to  victimize  him;  (5)  the 
courts  were  reorganized,  so  that  justice  might  be 
ordinary  instead  of  accidental;  and  (6)  in  the  in- 
terests of  public  morality  the  national  lottery,  bull- 
fights, and  cock-fights — the  popular  pastimes  of 
the  people — were  prohibited.  A  military  regime 
has  the  advantage  that  it  can  act  and  act  quickly 
without  argument — at  times  a  necessity.  No  other 
rule  could  have  evolved  order  out  of  chaos  in  Cuba. 

A  Cuban  Census.  Another  most  valuable  thing 
done  by  the  military  government  was  the  order 
directing  the  taking  of  a  census  covering  the  pop- 
ulation, and  the  commercial,  agricultural,  and  edu- 
cational conditions.  Cubans  were  employed  as  su- 
pervisors and  enumerators,  but  the  directors  were 
Americans  skilled   in  census   work,   and  the  result 


CUBA    LIBRE 


39 


was  the  first  comprehensive  and  reliable  volume' 
giving  information  concerning  Cuba  and  its  people. 
A  second  census  was  taken  in  1907  by  the  Cuban 
government,  based  on  the  model  of  1899. 

A  Lost  Opportunity.  Where  so  much  good  was 
accomplished,  it  is  a  pity  that  the  opportunities  to 
do  much  more  were  not  improved.  When  we  seek 
the  reasons  for  this,  they  lead  us  to  Washington 
rather  than  to  Cuba.  It  was  a  matter  of  tariff 
here,  not  of  treatment  there;  and  it  became  unfor- 
tunately a  question  of  party  here,  instead  of  pros- 
perity there.  If  the  American  people  could  have 
had  their  say,  they  would  have  settled  the  issue 
right,  as  they  did  in  the  case  of  intervention  to 
save  the  starving  and  helpless  Cubans.  But  con- 
gressional action  is  another  matter,  and  that  in  re- 
gard to  Cuban  sugar  and  other  tariff  items  was 
thoroughly  disappointing.  There  seems  no  reason 
to  doubt  that  special  interests  acting  through  our 
national  legislature  deprived  our  nation  of  its 
chance  to  be  both  just  and  generous  to  a  despoiled 
people  whom  we  had  taken  under  our  protection. 
Cuba  was  in  a  desperate  economic  condition.  Her 
market  abroad  had  been  taken  from  her,  war  had 
largely  ruined  her  industries,  and  no  market  had 
been  provided.     If  concessions  were  not  granted  by 

I.  The  compendium  of  this  work  is?uied  by  the  United  States 
Government  is  freely  used  and  largely  relied  upon  for  the 
facts  and  figures  in  this  volume,  and  acknowledgment  is  here 
made  to  the  government  for  its  great  service  in  such  publi- 
cations. 


40       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

our  government,  her  economic  condition  was  even 
more  hopeless  than  under  Spain. 

Selfish  American  Interests.  It  was  the  beet-su- 
gar industry  of  the  United  States  against  the  sugar- 
cane industry  of  Cuba,  with  an  ally  in  the  power- 
ful sugar  trust,  which  has  lately  confessed  that  for 
years  it  robbed  the  government  of  millions  of  dol- 
lars by  false  weighing,  and  which  would  be  certain 
to  look  out  for  its  own  interests.  Sides  were  taken 
as  to  our  responsibility  for  Cuban  conditions.  Thus 
Senator  Burrows,  of  Michigan,  a  strong  opponent 
of  Cuban  reciprocity,  said :  "We  rushed  in  there 
[to  Cuba]  and  drove  away  the  man  who  was  beat- 
ing his  wife,  but  we  did  not  agree  to  support  the 
children."  To  which  Senator  Piatt  of  Connecticut 
replied  finely :  "No  man  is  bound  to  adopt  a  child, 
as  we  have  adopted  Cuba;  but  having  adopted  a 
child,  he  is  bound  to  provide  for  it." 

President  Roosevelt's  Position.  President 
Roosevelt  took  unequivocal  ground  injjis  message. 
"In  the  case  of  Cuba,"  he  said,  "there  are  weighty 
reasons  of  morality  and  of  national  interest  why 
the  policy  of  reciprocity  should  be  held  to  have  pe- 
culiar application.  We  are  bound  by  every  considera- 
tion of  honor  and  expediency  to  pass  commercial 
measures  in  the  interest  of  her  material  well-being." 

Verdict  of  the  National  Conscience.  When,  af- 
ter weeks  of  discussion  and  opposition,  Congress 
failed  to  respond  to  the  President's  ai^peal.  and  ad- 
journed without  final  action  on  the  reciprocity  bill, 
in  that  failure  to  live  up  to  its  moral  obligation  the 


CUBA    LIBRE  41 

United  States  lost  the  chance  to  win  the  lasting 
gratitude  and  affection  of  the  Cuban  people.  After 
we  had  liberated  them,  we  had  practically  made  it 
impossible  for  them  to  get  on  industrially.  It  is 
not  strange  if  doubt  and  distrust  grew  up  in  the 
minds  of  the  Cubans,  and  uncertainty  in  those  of  the 
Americans. 

2.     Republic  of  Cuba 

Right  of  Intervention.  Meanwhile  preparations 
were  going  on  for  the  establishment  of  the  new 
republic  under  our  tutelage  and  protection.  The 
United  States  had  pledged  itself  to  see  that  this  ex- 
periment was  tried,  and  tried  under  fair  condi- 
tions. The  one  point  insisted  upon  by  our  govern- 
ment in  spite  of  strenuous  opposition,  was  the  in- 
clusion in  the  Cuban  constitution  of  the  right  of 
intervention  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  "for 
the  preservation  of  Cuban  independence  and  the 
maintenance  of  a  government  capable  of  protectmg 
life,  property,  and  of  individual  liberty."  The  ne- 
cessity of  this  provision  was  to  appear  much  sooner 
than  was  anticipated  wdien  it  w^as  presented  as  an 
unwelcome  ultimatum. 

Constitutional  Convention.  In  November,  1900, 
the  Cuban  Constitutional  Convention  organized 
and  began  its  work,  completing  it  creditably  in 
less  than  four  months,  and  providing  a  satisfactory 
working  basis  for  a  government  of  modern  repub- 
lican type.  During  the  sessions  there  were  some 
dramatic  episodes.  One  was  connected  with  the 
adoption  of  the  preamble,  which  reads  as  follows: 


42       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Preamble.  "\\>.  the  delegates  of  the  people  of 
Cuba,  having  met  in  Constitutional  Convention  for 
the  purpose  of  preparing  and  adopting  the  funda- 
mental law  of  their  organization  as  an  independent 
and  sovereign  people,  establishing  a  government 
capable  of  fulfilling  its  international  obligations, 
maintaining  public  peace,  insuring  liberty,  justice, 
and  promoting  the  general  welfare,  do  hereby  agree 
upon  and  adopt  the  following  Constitution,  invok- 
ing the  favor  of  God." 

Characteristic  Episode.  No  sooner  was  the  pre- 
amble read  than  Senor  Salvador  Cisneros,  a  veteran 
of  the  Ten  Years'  War  and  the  Revolution  of  1895, 
a  man  more  than  seventy-five  years  of  age,  with 
white  hair  and  powerful  personality,  moved  that  the 
last  clause,  invoking  the  favor  of  God,  be  stricken 
out.  Instantly  a  noted  orator,  Senor  Sanguilly, 
was  setting  forth  eloquently  and  at  length  his  opin- 
ion that  the  matter  was  of  small  importance.  Then 
came  the  unexpected  moment.  Immediately  in  front 
of  Seiior  Cisneros,  and  facing  Senor  Sanguilly 
across  the  semicircle  of  desks,  Senor  Pedro  Llor- 
ente,  an  old,  white-haired  man,  of  small  stature, 
rose  and  stood,  with  upraised  hand,  his  voice  tremu- 
lous with  emotion,  to  protest  against  the  motion, 
and  to  declare  as  one  not  far  from  the  close  of  life 
that  the  assembled  body  did  not  represent  an  athe- 
istic people.  He  carried  the  convention  by  the  in- 
tensity of  his  utterance,  and  the  Cisneros  motion 
was  voted  down. 


CUBA    LIBRE  43 

Religious  Liberty  Secured.  When  the  Constitu- 
tion was  .adopted  the  first  serious  discussion  arose 
over  Article  XXVI,  which  refers  to  freedom  of  re- 
ligious behef  and  form  of  worship,  and  the  rela- 
tions of  Church  and  State.  With  four  centuries 
of  union  of  Church  and  State  it  is  not  strange  that 
one  party  should  favor  the  old  system ;  yet  it  was 
the  very  experience  of  those  centuries  that  lent 
strength  to  the  party  of  religious  liberty,  which 
stood  for  complete  separation,  like  that  in  the 
United  States.  The  result  of  the  debate  was  the 
adoption  of  the  following : 

"Article  XXVI.  The  profession  of  all  religious 
beliefs,  as  well  as  the  practise  of  all  forms  of  re- 
ligion, are  free,  without  further  restriction  than  that 
demanded  by  the  respect  for  Christian  morality  and 
public  order.  The  Church  shall  be  separated  from 
the  State,  which  shall  in  no  case  subsidize  any  re- 
ligion." 

Most  Desirable  Provision.  No  clause  of  the 
Constitution  meant  more  for  Cuba's  permanent  in- 
terests than  this,  which  opened  the  island  to  Protes- 
tant missions,  and  ended  the  reign  of  ecclesiasticism 
that  had  done  more  than  Spanish  governmental  tyr- 
anny to  repress  the  intellectual  and  moral  develop- 
ment of  the  Cuban  people. 

Points  Established.  Summarizing  the  document 
as  a  whole,  the  Cuban  Constitution  establishes :  ( i ) 
a  republican  form  of  government;  (2)  religious  lib- 
erty with  separation  of  Church  and  State;  (3)  uni- 


44       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

versal  suffrage;  (4)  popular  election  of  senators, 
and  (5)  general  state  control  of  education.  It  was 
signed  officially  on  the  21st  of  February,  1901, 
without  special  incident  or  interest  on  the  part  of 
the  people.  This  was  due,  possibly,  to  a  general 
doubt  as  to  the  sincerity  of  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment in  its  assertion  that  "Cuba  is  and  of  right 
ought  to  be  free  and  independent." 

New  President  and  Flag.  During  the  next  year 
the  general  elections  were  held,  and  Tomaso  Es- 
trado  de  Palma,  who  had  lived  many  years  in  New 
York  and  been  active  in  the  Cuban  junta  which  con- 
ducted its  operations  from  that  point,  was  chosen 
president  of  the  Republic.  On  May  20,  1902,  by 
order  of  President  Roosevelt,  the  military  govern- 
ment transferred  control  to  the  new  president  and 
congress,  the  stars  and  stripes  came  down  from  the 
governor-general's  palace  in  Havana  and  the  gover- 
nor's palaces  in  the  other  cities  where  the  pro- 
vincial governors  had  their  headquar-^rs,  and  in 
its  place  the  Cuban  flag  was  raised  aloft.  Thus 
May  20  is  Cuba's  Independence  Day,  her  Fourth 
of  July. 

A  Time  of  Testing.  The  new  government  was 
closely  watched.  For  a  time  all  went  well.  There 
was  some  trouble  over  the  dispensing  of  patronage 
and  the  filling  of  offices,  but  no  more  than  is  in- 
evitable in  such  cases.  The  people  generally  seemed 
to  appreciate  the  fact  that  they  were  on  trial.  Pres- 
ident Palma  was  a  man  of  excellent  character,  high 
reputation,  and  kindly  disposition.     His  patriotism 


CUBA    LIBRE  45 

had  been  proved,  but  he  had  hved  so  long  out  of 
the  island  that  he  did  not  appeal  especially  to  the 
popular  heart.  His  chief  rival  had  been  a  revolu- 
tionary leader,  and  there  was  considerable  feeling- 
over  his  defeat.  Presently  discontent  began  to  show 
itself.  Conditions  did  not  improve  as  rapidly  as  was 
anticipated.  Independence  could  not  miraculously 
develop  trade  or  produce  crops  where  planting  had 
been  neglected.  There  was  a  sense  of  imcertainty 
that  affected  capital,  and  sugar  planting  was  less- 
ened. Assertions  have  been  made  that  trouble  was 
fomented  by  men  whose  commercial  interests  led 
them  to  desire  another  American  intervention. 

Open  Revolt.  Whatever  the  reasons,  the  fact  is 
that  tlie  political  dissensions,  which  became  seri- 
ous in  1905,  when  it  was  charged  that  the  national 
elections  were  fraudulently  manipulated  by  the  gov- 
ernment in  its  own  behalf,  increased  until  in  August, 
1906,  a  small  armed  force  took  the  field  in  open  re- 
volt. Once  more  insurgents  were  to  be  dealt  with, 
only  this  time  Cubans  against  Cubans.  The  old  tac- 
tics were  pursued.  Destruction  of  property  was 
easy,  pursuit  and  capture  of  the  destroyers  was  diffi- 
cult if  not  impossible.  The  government  was  wholly 
unprepared  for  the  emergency.  Its  force  of  artil- 
lery and  rural  guards  was  small  and  scattered,  and 
not  dependable.  The  president  was  a  man  of  peace, 
unfit  to  lead  in  war.  Desperate  efforts  were  made 
to  organize  troops  and  maintain  public  order,  but 
with  little  success. 

Appeal  for  Intervention.    By    September    Presi- 


46       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

dent  Palma  had  determined  to  resign,  in  order  to 
save  his  country  from  complete  anarchy.  The  gov- 
ernment reaHzed  its  impotency,  and  appealed  to  the 
United  States  for  intervention,  under  the  terms  of 
the  treaty  and  the  constitution.  Our  State  Depart- 
ment gave  discouraging  answer,  urging  the  Cuban 
government  to  stand  its  ground.  President  Roose- 
velt held  to  this  position  so  strongly  that  he  sent 
Mr.  Taft,  then  Secretary  of  War,  and  Mr.  Bacon, 
Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  as  a  Peace  Commis- 
sion, to  see  if  some  other  way  out  could  not  be 
found.  Intervention  was  sure  to  be  misunderstood 
both  at  home  and  abroad. 

Provisional  Government  Established.  This  com- 
mission had  a  delicate  task.  .\  wrong  move  might 
plunge  Cuba  into  another  guerilla  struggle,  that 
would  defy  any  force  and  mean  devastation  and 
incalculable  loss.  The  greatest  credit  is  due  to  the 
commissioners  for  their  tactful  conduct  of  affairs. 
They  heard  all  sides  and  treated  all'^arties  impar- 
tially. They  proposed  a  compromise  involving  a 
new  election  and  the  acquiescence  of  the  existing 
government  in  the  result.  The  proposition  was  re- 
jected, and  the  resignation  of  the  president  and  vice- 
president  left  the  country  without  a  head.  There 
was  nothing  for  Secretary  Taft  to  do  but  to  set  up 
a  provisional  government.  The  commission's  suc- 
cess is  proved  by  the  acceptance  of  this  outcome  by 
all  parties.  The  proclamation  of  a  provisional  gov- 
ernment, under  American  authority,  was  received 
with  general  satisfaction  and  relief.     In  his  procla- 


CUBA    LIBRE  47 

niation  the  secretary  said  the  provisional  govern- 
ment would  be  maintained  only  long  enough  to  re- 
store order  and  peace  and  public  confidence,  and 
hold  elections  to  determine  upon  whom  the  perma- 
nent government  should  be  devolved ;  and  that  this 
government  would  be  Cuban  as  far  as  possible,  with 
the  Cuban  flag  hoisted  as  usual  over  the  government 
buildings.  This  was  a  most  effective  proclamation. 
Although  thousands  of  men  were  under  arms,  the 
insurgent  forces  and  government  troops  permitted 
disarmament  without  demur,  a  general  amnesty  was 
proclaimed,  and  the  rebellion  was  ended.  So  also 
was  the  first  period  of  the  Cuban  Republic — ended 
in  disruption  and  disgrace. 

3.  Second  Intervention  and  Withdrawal 
A  Successful  Election.  President  Roosevelt  ap- 
pointed as  provisional  governor  the  Flon.  Charles  E. 
Magoon,  who  held  the  office  until  the  Cuban  gov- 
ernment was  once  more  ready  to  resume  operations. 
The  plan  proposed  by  the  peace  commission,  provid- 
ing for  a  new  electoral  law,  was  adopted.  This  law 
provided  for  an  electoral  college  of  106  electors, 
apportioned  among  the  six  provinces  at  the  ratio  of 
one  elector  for  25,000  inhabitants.  By  decree  the 
presidential  election,  at  which  the  members  of  the 
lower  house  of  congress  were  also  to  be  chosen,  was 
set  for  November  14,  1908.  Absolute  peace  and 
order  marked  the  election,  which  followed  a  vigor- 
ous political  campaign.  The  liberal  candidates, 
General    Jose    Miguel    Gomez    for   president,    and 


48       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Senor  Alfredo  Zayas  for  vice-president,  received  a 
total  of  195,197,  votes,  being  a  majority  of  68,069 
over  the  conservative  candidates. 

President  Gomez  Inaugurated.  The  electoral  col- 
lege met  on  December  19,  1908,  consummated  the 
election  of  President  Gomez  and  Vice-president 
Zayas,  and  recommended  that  they  be  inaugurated 
at  noon  on  January  28,  1909.  This  recommendation 
was  approved  by  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  carried  out.  The  law  provides  that  their  term 
of  office  shall  extend  to  May  20,  19 13.  Once  more 
the  United  States  had  saved  the  Cubans — this  time 
from  themselves — and  rendered  inestimable,  unre- 
warded, and  even  in  part  unappreciated  service.  But 
the  "big  brother"  had  done  his  duty  and  kept  his 
word. 

Moral  Standard  Lowered.  This  brings  Cuba 
governmentally  and  officially  up  to  date.  The  first 
year  of  the  new  regime  was  celebrated  in  Havana 
on  January  28,  1910,  with  much  rejoicing.  The 
financial  showing  appeared  to  be  good.  While  some 
discontent  had  to  be  met,  arising  chiefly  from  disap- 
pointed office-seekers,  the  promptness  and  rigor 
with  which  President  Gomez  dealt  with  the  matter 
served  to  prevent  further  trouble  of  the  same  sort. 
Under  the  second  American  provisional  govern- 
ment, when  everything  seemed  done  to  secure  Rom- 
ish votes  and  favor,  the  work  of  the  Protestant 
missionaries  was  made  doubly  hard  by  Americans 
in  power.  What  could  be  said  when  an  Ameri- 
can governor  spent  a  thousand  dollars  of  the  peo- 


CUBA   LIBRE  49 

pie's  money  to  lit  up  in  the  official  residence  a 
Romish  altar  which,  during  President  Raima's  ad- 
ministration, remained  dismantled  and  unused ;  and 
when,  more  than  that,  this  governor  assigned  a 
special  hour  in  his  published  New  Year's  program 
to  receive  the  bishop  of  Havana  and  his  retinue. 
The  missionaries,  on  account  of  such  things  as 
these,  were  not  sorry  when  the  Cubans  resumed  con- 
trol of  their  own  affairs. 

4.  Education  in  Cuba 
An  Illiterate  People.  Cuba's  educational  history 
is  similar  to  that  of  every  country  where  the  Romish 
Church  has  directed  and  dictated.  Schools  were  un- 
known in  the  island  until  far  along  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  and  before  that  the  Cubans  had  not  a  single 
institution  where  their  children  could  even  be  taught 
to  read  and  write.  Some  of  the  patriotic  Cubans 
started  a  number  of  schools  for  boys  in  Havana,  and 
there  were  seven  of  these  in  1793,  in  which  408 
white  and  144  free  colored  children  could  be  edu- 
cated. Only  one  was  a  free  school,  and  reading, 
writing,  and  arithmetic  covered  the  studies  in  all  but 
one,  where  a  mulatto  teacher  taught  Spanish  gram- 
mar. Outside  of  Havana  there  was  one  school  for 
beys  and  another  for  girls,  but  the  ruling  bishop 
said  more  schools  were  unnecessary,  and  the  Cubans 
could  not  obtain  official  sanction  of  popular  educa- 
tion. In  181 7  there  were  only  ninety  schools  in  all 
Cuba.  Of  course  the  rich  Spaniards  and  Cubans 
sent  their  sons  abroad  to  be  educated ;  the  girls  were 


50       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

not  supposed  to  need  education ;  and  as  for  the  com- 
mon children,  ilHteracy  was  better  for  them,  as  it 
was  for  the  colored  children,  as  ability  to  read  might 
lead  them  to  become  dissatisfied  with  their  station. 
Incidentally  it  might  lead  them  to  mistrust  some  of 
the  Church  claims  and  teachings.  In  1836  only 
9,082  children  were  receiving  elementary  instruc- 
tion; the  teachers  were  incompetent  and  often  un- 
paid ;  there  were  no  school  buildings  of  any  account ; 
and  the  University  was  intended  chiefly  for  the 
training  of  priests.  Cuba  had  no  education  worthy 
the  name. 

What  the  Americans  Did.  When  the  Ameri- 
cans took  the  census  of  1899,  it  showed  that  with 
356,987  children  of  school  age  (under  ten  years), 
only  87,376  were  in  school  attendance,  and  only  41 
per  cent,  of  the  total  population  of  1,572.797  could 
read.  Immediately  the  Provisional  government  be- 
gan to  establish  public  schools  of  good  grade;  sent 
12,000  Cuban  teachers  to  the  United  Stages  for  nor- 
mal training;  put  ten  millions  of  dollars  into  school- 
houses  and  equipment;  and  gave  a  mighty  educa- 
tional push,  such  as  the  island  had  never  known. 
As  a  result  of  the  excellent  start  made,  the  census 
of  1907  showed  that  of  541,445  children  of  school 
age  (five  to  seventeen),  171,017  were  in  attendance 
— a  decided  improvement.  The  Cuban  govenmient 
has  not  maintained  the  educational  standards  set  by 
the  Americans,  perhaps  because  teachers  of  proi>er 
training  are  not  to  be  had,  perhaps  because  the  need 


CUBA    LIBRE  51 

is  not  appreciated  or  the  expense  is  considered  too 
great. 

Cuba's  Educational  Needs.  This  makes  the  mis- 
sion schools  a  necessity.  Certainly  education  must 
be  greatly  stimulated  if  the  nation  is  to  breed  a  self- 
governing  people,  able  to  maintain  the  institutions 
of  democracy  and  progress.  As  to  the  present  situ- 
ation a  missionary  writes :  "Educationally  Cuba  is 
improving.  For  centuries  the  policy  of  those  in 
power  has  been  to  keep  the  world  in  ignorance  of 
Cuba  and  the  Cubans  in  ignorance  of  the  world. 
Now  the  school  system  is  instituted  in  most  of  the 
towns  of  the  rural  districts,  and  in  many  country 
districts  where  there  are  no  towns.  The  instructors 
are  not  of  the  highest  order,  their  training  is  the 
crudest,  but  each  year  adds  to  the  efficiency  of  the 
teaching  force.  Coeducation  is  not  practical.  Per- 
haps when  the  youth  are  lifted  to  a  higher  level, 
their  children  may  enjoy  the  really  elevating  bene- 
fits of  coeducation.  The  percentage  of  illiteracy  is 
very  large.  Here  must  be  the  method  of  elevating 
Cuba  socially,  politically,  and  religiously.  The  re- 
sults of  teaching  in  connection  with  religious  work 
have  been  most  encouraging." 

5.     Physical  Features  of  Cuba 

Location  and  Shape.  Let  us  now  see  what  kind 
of  a  country  this  is  which,  after  four  centuries,  was 
given  a  chance  for  a  new  life.  Looking  on  the  map, 
you  note  that  Cuba  is  the  most  western  and  mueh 


52       ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

the  largest  of  the  four  islands  which  form  the 
Greater  Antilles  group.  Cape  Maysi,  its  easternmost 
point,  is  directly  south  of  New  York,  and  Cape  San 
Antonio,  the  westernmost  point,  is  exactly  south  of 
Cincinnati.  Cuba  is  shaped  like  the  arc  of  a  circle, 
or  a  crescent,  with  convex  side  to  the  north.  Its 
general  outline  resembles  that  of  a  hammerheaded 
shark,  the  head  of  which  forms  the  straight  south 
coast  of  the  east  end,  while  the  body  extends  to  the 
west  in  a  great  curv'e. 

Strategic  Importance.  Strategically  Cuba  occupies 
a  controlling  position,  of  paramount  importance  to 
tlie  United  States,  since  the  Panama  Canal  has  be- 
come an  assured  fact.  The  island  has  been  called 
the  Guardian  of  the  Gates  of  the  American  ]\Iedi- 
terranean,  the  Key  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  the  Sen- 
tinel of  the  Caribbean  Sea.  It  is  all  of  these.  There 
is  no  other  passage  into  the  Caribbean  or  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  that  is  available  for  commerce  except 
that  at  Porto  Rico.  Cuba's  splendid^iarbors  are 
destined  to  become  important  ports  for  coaling  and 
other  purposes.  It  was  asserted  and  tacitly  ad- 
mitted as  early  as  1854  that  the  United  States  could 
not  safely  permit  any  foreign  nation  to  take  Cuba 
from  Spain,  and  the  purchase  of  Cuba  was  proposed 
at  that  time  in  the  Ostend  Manifesto,  a  masterly 
report  on  Cuba  and  the  relations  of  the  island  to 
our  countr)',  made  by  a  commission  sent  to  negoti- 
ate with  France  and  Spain.  If  Cuba  was  of  im- 
portance strategically  then,  much  more  so  now, 
when  slie  practically  commands   tlie  entrance  that 


:miq   a^^lSs^ 


(*-: 


"     -^*  I!bl2  ^  J^^r 


HARBOR,    HAVANA 
DOCKS,     HAVANA 


CUBA    LIBRE  53 

must  be  used  by  a  world  commerce.  The  United 
States  treaty,  which  gives  us  a  protectorate  right, 
also  secures  us  against  Cuba's  alliance  with  any 
foreign  power,  so  that  we  really  hold  the  key. 

Ease  of  Access  and  Length.  The  western  end  of 
Cuba  is  about  one  hundred  miles  from  Florida,  and 
separated  from  the  mainland  by  the  strait  of  that 
name.  The  sailing  distance  has  been  reduced,  how- 
ever, by  the  new  railway  extension  to  Key  West, 
from  the  terminus  of  which  a  ferry  is  expected  to 
carry  the  Pullman  cars  directly  to  Havana,  with  a 
water  passage  of  only  six  or  seven  hours ;  so  that 
a  passenger  may  some  day  be  able  to  take  the  train 
in  New  York  and  not  lea\-e  it  until  he  arrives  in 
Havana,  if  he  so  desires.  But  lovers  of  the  sea 
and  fresh  air  will  not  take  to  that  route,  swift 
though  it  be.  Fine  steamers  run  from  New  York 
to  Havana  in  three  days,  to  Santiago  in  eight. 
Haiti  is  about  50  miles  east  of  the  eastern  end  of 
Cuba;  Jamaica  is  85  miles  south.  Havana  is  1,413 
miles  from  New  York,  475  miles  from  New  Or- 
leans. Cuba  is  exceedingly  irregular  in  shape,  its 
length  being  very  disproportionate  to  its  breadth. 
Its  total  length  is  730  miles ;  its  breadth  varies  from 
160  miles  in  Oriente  (or  Santiago)  province  to  22 
miles  in  Havana  province.  If  laid  out  on  the  map 
of  North  America  the  island  would  reach  from  New 
York  to  Chicago ;  or  from  Montreal  to  St.  Thomas ; 
or  if  stretched  along  the  coast,  from  New  York  to 
Savannah.  It  is  about  the  same  length  as  Cali- 
fornia or  Italy. 


54       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Comparative  Area.  As  to  comparative  area, 
Cuba  has  44,164  square  miles,  Haiti  28,249,  Ja- 
maica 4,218,  and  Porto  Rico  only  3,550.  To  fix 
its  size  more  clearly  in  mind,  the  area  of  Cuba  is 
nearly  that  of  Pennsylvania,  or  Mississippi,  or  Ohio, 
or  Virginia;  somewhat  smaller  than  that  of  New 
York;  just  about  the  combined  area  of  Massachu- 
setts, Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island, 
Connecticut,  New  Jersey,  and  Delaware.  In  Can- 
ada it  would  nearly  equal  the  square  miles  of  New 
Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia  together.  It  could  be 
placed  six  times  over  in  Texas,  with  something  still 
to  spare  for  that  remarkable  State. 

Coast  and  Mountain  Features.  The  island  is 
traversed  in  the  middle,  through  more  than  three 
quarters  of  its  extent,  by  a  mountain  range  which, 
from  the  peak  Guajaibon  (2,500  feet  in  height)  at 
the  western  extremity,  gradually  increases  in  alti- 
tude and  extent  as  it  approaches  the  eastern  end. 
The  coast-line,  with  its  many  curves  and  indenta- 
tions, measures  nearly  2,200  miles.  The'north  coast 
is  mostly  steep  and  rocky,  and  bordered  in  the  cen- 
tral provinces  by  lines  of  islands  and  reefs  of  coral 
formation,  through  which  passage  is  intricate  and 
difficult.  The  west  coast  is  low,  but  the  south  coast 
has  much  grandeur.  It  is  mountainous  all  the  way 
from  Cape  Maysi  westward,  and  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Santiago  the  Sierra  Maestra  range  rises 
abruptly  from  the  sea.  This  range  is  the  dominat- 
ing feature  of  the  island,  and  its  highest  peak,  Pico 


CUBA    LIBRE  55 

Turquino,  has  an  alliliulc  of  more  than  8.000  feet. 
These  Cuban  mountains  contain  -the  promise  of 
both  wealth  and  health,  and,  as  the  island  develops, 
the  eastern  section  is  likely  to  become  increasingly 
popular  as  the  health  resort  of  tourists  from  the 
United  States  during-  the  winter  months.  Not  Ha- 
vana but  Guantanamo  will  prove  the  most  attractive 
retreat  for  the  knowing  ones. 

Charming  Oriente.  The  rich  physical  resources 
indicate  a  bright  future.  Mountainous  slopes,  rich 
valleys,  extended  plains,  afford  chance  for  more  di- 
versified agricultural  operations  than  elsewhere  on 
the  island.  East  of  Santiago  are  the  famous  mines 
of  hematite  iron  ore;  west  are  rich  deposits  of  man- 
ganese ;  north  are  the  old  copper  mines ;  while  the 
hills  abound  in  limestone  for  plaster  and  cement. 
At  Nuevitas  and  Nii>e  on  the  northeast,  at  Man- 
zanillo,  Santiago,  and  Guantanamo  on  the  south,  are 
spacious  harbors  awaiting  the  fleets  of  the  future, 
when  the  natural  resources  shall  be  developed  and  a 
million  people  find  dwelling. 

Rivers  and  Harbors.  There  are  a  great  many 
rivers,  but  all  short,  and  few  of  any  importance  for 
navigation.  In  the  dry  season  these  so-called  rivers 
are  often  nearly  dry  beds,  or  at  best  decent  creeks. 
But  when  the  rains  come,  and  the  bottom  of  the 
sky  seems  to  fall  out,  these  streams  form  raging 
torrents,  sweeping  everything  before  them.  As  for 
harbors,  no  island  of  similar  size  has  nearly  so  many 
good  ones.     They  are  capacious,  deep,   and  safe, 


56       ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

\vith  generally  narrow  entrances,  high  headlands  on 
each  side,  and  almost  landlocked,  expanding  into  a 
large  open  bay. 

Flora.  The  flora*  is  noted  for  its  abundance  and 
beauty,  and  gave  to  Cuba  the  name  Pearl  of  the 
Antilles.  Over  three  thousand  native  plants  h.ave 
been  catalogued.  The  palm  is  the  characteristic  fea- 
ture of  the  scenery,  and  the  avenues  and  groves  of 
royal  palm  are  impressively  beautiful.  The  woods 
constitute  a  source  of  wealth  yet  to  be  developed, 
and  forest  conservation  is  as  badly  needed  in  Cuba 
as  in  our  own  country. 

Fauna.  The  fauna  includes  more  than  two  hun- 
dred species  of  wild  birds,  many  with  beautiful 
plumage,  but  few  with  song.  There  are  snakes,  but 
not  many  and  none  venomous ;  lizards,  chameleons, 
and  spiders,  but  not  to  be  afraid  of;  mosquitoes,  but 
not  equal  in  size  or  ferocity  to  our  most  noted 
brands.  Indeed,  there  is  nothing  the  visitor  need 
fear  in  the  animal  or  insect  line.  ^ 

6.     Natural  Resources  and  Climate 

Rich  Soil.  The  wealth  of  Cuba  lies  in  its  marvel- 
ously  rich  soil.  The  lightest  cultivation  yields  the 
most  bountiful  returns.  From  this  source  Spain 
and  its  predatory  officials  reaped  millions  annually, 
and  to  this  source  the  Cubans  owe  the  ease  of  their 
simple  existence.  Probably  no  equal  area  on  the 
globe  is  richer  in  its  natural  resources. 

I.  For  more  detailed  description  of  the  flora,  fauna,  and 
natural  products,  see  Ilill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  VI. 


CUBA    LIBRE  57 

Sugar.  Sugar  is  the  most  important  staple  of 
Cuba,  and  a  source  of  permanent  wealth.  Sugar- 
cane covers  47  per  cent,  of  the  cultivated  area,  and 
its  production  employs  the  greatest  number  of  men. 
The  climatic  conditions  and  the  soil  are  so  favorable 
to  this  product  that  in  spite  of  destructive  revolu- 
tions and  the  business  uncertainties  of  an  unsettled 
state,  the  cultivation  has  increased ;  and  after  polit- 
ical crises  the  industry  has  speedily  recuperated  and 
advanced  beyond  previous  records.  The  Cuban  sugar 
lands  excel  all  others  in  fertility.  It  is  only  neces- 
sary to  replant  the  cane  once  in  seven  years,  instead 
of  every  year  or  two  as  elsewhere.  The  sugar  crop, 
which  reached  its  highest  mark  prior  to  the  revolu- 
tion in  1894-5,  when  it  was  1,054,000  tons,  fell  off 
two  years  later  to  225,221  tons,  the  lowest  figure 
known  in  fifty  years.  Almost  in  a  night  an  income 
from  sugar  of  $80,000,000  a  year  dwindled  to  $16,- 
000.000.  Since  independence,  replanting  has  taken 
place,  and  in  1906-7  the  crop  exceeded  that  of 
1894-5,  being  1,229,737  tons.  At  the  same  time 
the  quantity  of  sirups  obtained  fi'om  the  crop  was 
46,745.736  gallons.  It  takes  an  enormous  amount 
of  capital  to  run  the  plantations  and  harvest  the 
crop.  Where  in  1825  the  largest  plantations  rarely 
exceeded  1,500  acres,  with  a  total  value  of  perhaps 
$500,000,  including  land,  buildings,  machinery, 
stock,  and  slaves,  to-day  there  are  plantations  of  25,- 
000  acres,  representing  an  investment  of  $2,000,000, 
with  an  annual  revenue  of  a  million,  and  a  profit  of 
$200,000,  if  a  fair  price  for  sugar  is  received.   With 


58       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

an  open  market  in  the  United  States,  Cuba  would 
unquestionably  be  the  sugar  producer  of  the  world. 

Tobacco.  Tobacco  is  the  second  product  of  im- 
portance, the  Cuban  leaf  ranking  as  the  finest 
known.  This  industry,  with  the  manufacture  of 
cigars  and  the  ])acking  for  export,  employs  a  large 
number  of  persons.  The  production  in  1907 
amounted  to  201,512  bales. 

Coffee.  In  1846  there  were  2,328  plantations, 
which  produced  50.000.000  ])ounds  of  berries  and 
found  a  ready  market  in  Vienna  at  high  prices,  be- 
sides supplying  the  wants  at  home.  The  coffee  is 
excellent,  and  cultivated  as  easily  as  everything  else 
in  this  rich  soil.  The  plantations  were  reduced  to 
less  than  two  hundred  small  farms,  but  since  inde- 
pendence and  the  passage  of  a  protective  law,  the 
number  of  coffee  plantations  has  rapidly  increased. 
In  1907  there  were  1,411  plantations,  with  3.772.850 
trees,  which  produced  6,595,700  pounds  of  berries. 
While  some  do  not  regard  the  Cuban  berry  as  iirst- 
class,  it  is  a  delicious  drink  as  the  Cubans  make  it 
— provided  you  like  it.  The  climate  seems  to  favor 
drinking  it  in  unusual  quantities. 

Coconuts.  'I'he  coconut  grows  throughout  the 
island,  but  is  at  its  best  in  beautiful  Baracoa,  where 
Velasquez  first  settled.  There  all  one  has  to  do  is 
to  plant  the  tree  and  leave  it  to  develop.  Fifteen 
years  ago,  with  practically  no  effort,  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  millions  of  coconuts  were  gathered  an- 
nually, selling  at  a  cent  apiece.  They  furnish  both 
drink  and  food  to  the  people. 


CUBA    LIBRE  59 

Fruits.  Fruits  are  abundant  and  numerous  in 
variety.  Tlie  citrus  plants  are  of  exceptional  qual- 
ity and  value.  There  are  sweet  and  bitter  oranges, 
lemons,  and  pineapples,  the  latter  the  best  in  the 
world.  More  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  sweet 
orange  trees  are  in  bearing,  while  the  demand  from 
tliis  country  for  pineapples  has  stimulated  the  cul- 
tivation until  the  present  production  is  between  fifty 
and  sixty  million  pounds.  Bananas  grow  in  various 
parts  of  the  island.  It  is  probable  that  grape  fruit, 
which  grows  wild  and  yields  enormous  crops  of  a 
quality  far  surpassing  that  of  Florida  grape  fruit, 
when  cultivated,  will  take  a  first  place.  All  that  is 
needed  is  a  free  market. 

Plantains.  A  favorite  food  fruit  is  the  plantain, 
delicious  and  wholesome.  Cuba  is  the  extreme 
northern  limit  for  the  production  of  this  tropical 
fruit,  but  the  fertility  and  favorable  meteorological 
conditions  are  such  that  the  island  produces  the  en- 
ormous quantity  of  plantains  consumed  by  the  peo- 
ple (250,000,000  pounds),  besides  a  considerable 
quantity  for  export.  As  you  see  the  fruit-stands  at 
the  railway  stations,  and  mark  the  low  price  for 
which  you  can  get  an  abundant  supply  of  a  dozen 
varieties  of  fruit,  you  understand  how  it  is  that  liv- 
ing is  cheap  for  the  people,  who  can  subsist  to  a 
great  extent  upon  a  fruit  and  vegetable  diet. 

Vegetables  and  Grains.  Cuba  can  grow  vege- 
tables in  abundance,  but  has  been  too  busy  with 
sugar-cane  and  tobacco  to  do  so.  The  Chinese 
slaves,  after  their  liberation,  began  vegetable  culti- 


6o       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

vation,  and  now  the  people  realize  its  value.  Sweet 
potatoes  are  an  indigenous  product,  and  at  one  time 
exceeded  sugar  and  tobacco  in  value.  A  farm  of 
thirty-three  acres  planted  with  sweet  potatoes  will 
yield  from  500,000  to  625,000  tubers,  and  the  vines 
provide  a  healthful  food  for  the  cattle  besides. 
Grains  can  be  easily  produced  in  quantities  sufficient 
for  the  home  needs.  Rice  is  a  food  staple,  its  con- 
sumption amounting-  to  200.000  pounds  daily.  Most 
of  this  is  imported,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  our 
rice  fields  should  not  supply  Cuban  needs ;  and  under 
a  reciprocal  tariff  this  would  naturally  occur.  In- 
dian corn  yields  two  or  three  crops  a  year,  and  is  of 
the  finest  quality. 

Climate.  The  climate  of  Cuba  cannot  be  de- 
scribed, it  must  be  lived  in  to  be  appreciated.  The 
thermometer  is  not  a  safe  guide.  Then,  it  depends 
ranch  upon  where  you  are.  The  climate  of  Havana 
is  one  thing,  of  Santiago  another,  of  Guantanamo 
still  decidedly  dift'erent.  While  you  would  be 
stiflmg  at  Santiago,  at  El  Cristo,  twelve  liiiles  away 
and  twelve  hundred  feet  up  in  the  hills,  you  would 
have  a  refreshing  breeze  and  be  in  comfort.  But  in 
general,  it  may  be  said  that  there  are  few  extremes 
of  heat  or  cold,  in  fact  no  really  cold  weather  at 
all,  although  at  midnight  the  Cuban  thinks  the 
tefiiperature  quite  northern.  Lideed,  he  dreads  the 
air  after  sundown,  and  amuses  you  by  appearing  in 
a  heavy  overcoat,  while  you  feel  comfortable  in  your 
light  clothing.  Night  air  is  regarded  as  deadly  by 
the  Cubans,  and  they  shut  every  bit  of  it  possible 


CUBA    LIBRE  6i 

'out  of  their  sleeping  places.  The  range  of  tempera- 
ture is  from  50  to  94  degrees  Fahrenheit  at  Ha- 
vana. The  difference  in  seasons  is  made  not  so 
much  by  temperature  as  by  the  rainfall.  Our  win- 
ter is  the  favorable  time  to  visit  Cuba  because  that 
is  the  dry  season,  not  especially  the  cool  season. 
The  breeze  determines  the  coolness  or  warmth. 
There  is  a  daily  breeze  from  the  ocean,  and  if  you 
are  in  position  to  feel  it  you  need  fear  no  serious 
discomfort.  The  Cubans  rise  early,  avoid  the  di- 
rect rays  of  the  sun  at  midday,  and  take  life  easy 
at  that  period.  You  soon  learn  the  difference  be- 
tween the  sunny  and  shady  side  of  the  street,  and 
that  you  may  have  fever-heat  or  chill  according  to 
your  location.  Sunstroke  is  unknown  in  Cuba.  We 
Americans  shall  come  in  time,  doubtless,  to  agree 
with  the  Cubans  who  tell  us  that  nowhere  under  the 
sun  can  be  found  a  more  perfect  climate,  more  sat- 
isfying mountain  scenery,  more  charming  valleys, 
more  picturesque  cities,  more  fertile  fields,  and  more 
delightful  experiences  than  Cuba  offers.  But  when 
it  comes  to  leaving  our  own  climate  for  all  the  year 
round,  that  is  another  matter.  Extremes  of  heat 
and  cold  may  at  times  be  disagreeable,  but  many 
prefer  vim,  vigor,  and  "go"  to  anything  the  tropics 
can  offer  as  steady  diet.  The  American  missionaries 
stay  in  Cuba,  not  because  they  like  the  climate,  but 
because  they  love  the  Cubans  whom  they  are  trying 
to  save. 


62       ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 


QUESTIONS    ON    CHAPTER    11 
Aim  :    To  Show  the  Progress  Made  in   Cuba  undbr  the 
Direction  of  the  United  States 

1.  Do  you  suppose  that  the  insurgents  expected  the 
United  States  to  direct  the  affairs  of  government 
after  the  Spaniards  were  defeated? 

2.  Had  the  Cubans  any  reason  to  expect  that  they 
would  govern  themselves? 

3.  Would  it  have  been  wise  for  the  United  States  to 
turn  the  island  over  to  the  Cubans  immediately? 

4.  Were  the  people  prepared  for  self-government? 

5.*  Compare  the  privileges  that  the   Cubans   had    under 

Spanish   rule  with  those  granted  under  the  military 

rule  of  the  United  States. 
6.*  Have    events    thus    far    justified    the    policy    of    the 

United   States  in  maintaining  direction  of  affairs   in 

the  island? 

7.  Enumerate  the  greatest  physical  benefits  tliat  have 
come  to  Cuba  under  the  new  regime.  ^ 

8.  What  do  you  consider  some  of  the  mistakes  made 
by  the  United  States  in  its  administration  of  Cuba? 

9.  Is  it  to  be  expected  that  nations  with  different  ideals 
will  get  along  without  friction? 

10.  What  may  we  reasonably  expect  will  be  the  altitude 
of  the  ruled  class  toward  the  ruler? 

11.  Considering  the  experience  of  the  Cubans,  would  it 
be  right  to  expect  a  perfect  administration  of  gov- 
ernmental affairs  immediately? 

12.  Are  Ave  always  proud  of  the  results  of  our  adminis- 
tration ? 

13.  What  are  some  of  the  real  advantages  of  a  democ- 
racy ? 


CUBA    LIBRE  63 

14.     What  are  some  of  the  disadvantages  of  a  democracy? 

15.*  What  do  you  consider  the  principal  causes  for  the 
faihire  of  Cubans  in  their  first  attempt  at  self-gov- 
ernment? 

16.  Has  the  United  States  been  faithful  to  its  pledges  to 
Cuba? 

17.*  Do  you  believe  the  Cubans  are  capable  of  governing 
themselves  now?     Why  or  why  not? 

18.  Is  Cuba  large  enough  to  become  a  strong  nation? 

19.  In  what  respect  do  you  consider  her  location  strat- 
egic? 

20.  What  are  some  of  the  principal  products  of  Cuba 
that  the  United  States  will  purchase? 

21.  Will  Cuba's  products  be  sufficiently  large  to  effect 
prices  in  the  United  States  ? 

22.  Compare  the  climate   of  Cuba   with   that  of  Florida, 

23.  Which  do  people  prefer,   and   why? 

24*  What  do  you  consider  the  greatest  benefits  that  have 
come  to  Cuba  under  tlie  direction  of  the  United 
States? 

REFERENCES   FOR   ADVANCED    STUDY 
CHAPTER  II 

Political  Conditions. 

"Cuba  Again  Stands  Alone,"  Review  of  Reviews,  Feb- 
ruary,   1909. 

"Cuba  Once  Alore  Independent,''  Review  of  Reviews, 
March,   1909. 

Draper,  The   Rescue  of  Cuba,  XIV. 

"Letting  Cuba  Stand  Alone,"'  Review  of  Reviews,  Jan- 
uary,   1909. 

Murphy,  "Another  Chance  for  Cuba,"  Harper's  Weekly, 
July  I,   1908. 

Pepper,  To-morrow  in   Cuba,  V,   VI,   XVII. 

Porter,   Industrial   Cuba,  III. 

Robinson,  Cuba  and  the  Intervention,  Vl-XII,  XXI, 


64       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Industry  and  Commerce. 

Atkins,   "Tariff   Relations   with   Cuba,"    American    Acad- 
emy of  Political  Science,  September,   1908. 
Hill,  Cuba  and   Porto  Rico,  XVII. 
Pepper,  To-morrow  in  Cuba,  XI,  XII. 
Porter,   Industrial    Cuba,   XIX.   XXV. 
Robinson,  Cuba  and  the  Intervention,  XVIII,   XIX, 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  LIFE 


^5 


The  higher  classes  of  Cubans,  as  in  this  country,  are  gentle- 
men of  education  and  refinement,  skilled  in  agriculture,  and 
often  learned  in  the  arts  and  professions.  While  their  local 
customs,  habits,  and  religion  are  different  from  ours,  they 
have  strong  traits  of  character,  including  honesty,  family  at- 
tachment, hospitality,  politeness,  and  respect  for  the  golden 
rule.  Even  the  peasantry  have  a  courtesy  and  kindliness  that 
might  well  put  to  blush  the  boorish  manners  of  many  of  our 
own  people. 

—Robert    T.    Hill 

One  of  the  worst  qualities  of  the  Cuban  is  that  ho  seems  not 
to  believe  In  the  honor  and  faithfulness  of  any  woman,  while 
he  ought  to  know,  as  the  rest  of  the  world  knows,  that  there  is 
no  more  faithful  and  loving  wife  and  no  better  mother  than 
the  woman  of  Cuba.  As  a  Cuban  is  in  respect  to  his  matri- 
monial affairs,  so  with  many  a  thing  besides.  It  has  seemed 
to  me  that  the  childish  egotism  of  pure  selfishness  was  his 
great   underlying  trait. 

— James    W.   Steele 

With  just  and  kind  treatment,  the  Cubans  are  your  friends. 
They  are  an  easy-going,  talkative,  good-natured,  honest,  social 
people,  never  rude,  but  sometimes  sullen  and  without  much 
self-control;  abstemious,  caring  little  for  food,  not  given  to  ex- 
cessive drinking. 

''^-J.  M.  Adams 

One  of  the  most  imposing  monuments  in  Havana  is  that  of 
Jos6  Marti,  Cuba's  Apostle  of  Freedom.  He  gave  his  life  for 
the  cause,  and  may  stand  as  the  best  type  of  Cuban  patriot,  a 
lover  of  liberty  and  his  unliappy  country,  a  true  leader  ani- 
mated by  lofty  purposes.  Such  men  must  be  taken  into  ac- 
count In  considering  the  Cubans  as  a  whole,  and  in  estimating 
the  prospects  of  successful  self-government. 

— The   Author 


6'^ 


Ill 

THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  LIFE 
I.     Who  the  Cubans  Are 

Knowing  a  People.  There  is  no  more  intricate, 
perplexing,  and  delicate  study  than  a  foreign  people. 
Yon  must  leave  your  prejudices  and  standards  at 
home  and  see  through  the  foreign  eyes  and  with  the 
foreign  conscience.  The  short  and  common  method 
is  to  observe  superficially,  sweep  aside  a  race  as 
inferior  or  incompetent,  immoral  or  irreligious,  and 
pass  on.  It  is  another  thing  to  get  at  the  roots  of  a 
people's  life  and  character — to  know  them,  their 
environment,  heredity,  dispositions,  motives,  cus- 
toms, training,  and  traditions.  Only  when  you 
know  these  things  can  you  judge  the  possibilities  and 
probabilities  of  their  national  and  individual  de- 
velopment under  new  and  favorable  conditions,  and 
be  in  position  to  render  aid.  The  Cuban  people  are 
the  subject  of  prime  interest  and  inquiry  to  us.  be- 
cause they  form  the  field  of  the  missionary's  effort 
and  constitute  the  reason  for  his  presence  and  for 
our  support  of  his  work. 

Three  Questions,  Three  things  we  wish  par- 
ticularly to  know  about  Cuba  :     ( i )  Who  its  people 

(^7 


68       ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

are,  and  more  (2)  What  they  are  hke,  and  (3) 
How  they  live. 

Cubans  and  Others.  Who  are  the  Cubans?  The 
Cubans  hmit  that  name  to  the  people  of  Spanish 
blood  born  in  Cuba.  By  a  Spaniard  they  mean  a 
man  of  Spanish  blood  born  in  Spain.  His  son,  or 
descendant,  born  in  Cuba,  is  the  only  genuine  Cuban. 
The  other  permanent  elements  of  the  population  are 
the  Chinese,  negroes,  and  mixed  blood  or  mulattoes 
— together  forming  the  "races  of  color." 

Numbers  in  Each  Division.  Accepting  this 
standard,  how  many  are  there  of  the  Cubans  proper, 
and  in  what  proportion  do  they  stand  to  the  other 
inhabitants?  The  census  of  1907  comes  just  in 
time  to  answer  our  questions  on  this  and  many  other 
important  points.  The  native  whites  (Cubans) 
number  1,224.539,  in  a  total  population  of  2,048,980. 
The  others  are  composed  of :  Foreign  white,  203,- 
637  ( 185,000  of  whom  are  Spanish,  and  6.713  from 
the  United  States)  ;  black  (pure  negroes),  274,272; 
mixed,  334,695;  and  yellow  (Chinese),  11,837,  all 
males  but  196,  The  Cubans  proper  have  a  clear 
majority  over  all,  and  the  whites  all  together  consti- 
tute more  than  two  thirds  of  the  population.  There 
is  no  danger  of  the  loss  of  a  decided  white  ma- 
jority, unless  unforeseen  changes  take  place,  as  the 
colored  population  has  decreased  and  the  white 
steadily  increased  since  1775. 

Small  Population.  The  census  of  1899  gave  a 
total  of  1.572.797  people,  as  against  2,048,980  in 
1907 — an  increase  of  nearly  a  lialf  million,   or  39 


CUBAN    LABORERS— FOUR    NATIONALITIES 
MARKET-PLACE,    SANTIAGO 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     69 

per  cent,  in  eight  years ;  while  in  the  decade  preced- 
ing- 1899  there  was  a  decrease  of  58,890,  owing  to 
the  death-rate  of  revolution  and  reconcentration. 
The  present  population  of  Cuba,  therefore,  is  about 
equal  to  that  of  California  or  Virginia,  or  to  the 
combined  population  of  Connecticut,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  Rhode  Island.  All  the  people  of  Cuba 
could  be  put  into  Chicago,  and  not  fill  its  present 
quota  by  400,000;  put  on  Manhattan  Island  they 
would  not  reach  by  250,000  the  population  of  that 
central  borough  of  Greater  New  York. 

2.  What  the  People  Are  Like 
A  Less  Strenuous  Pace.  In  your  first  days  in 
Santiago  or  Havana,  toward  midday,  you  see  groups 
of  men  mostly  undersized  lounging  around  in  the 
shady  places,  with  work  at  a  standstill;  and  recall- 
ing the  mad  rush  at  that  hour  in  New  York  or  Chi- 
cago, and  impressed  with  the  general  atmosphere 
and  attitude  of  languor,  you  conclude  that  the  Cu- 
bans are  shiftless  and  lazy.  But  if  you  had  been 
in  the  same  streets  at  a  very  early  hour,  you  would 
have  seen  a  more  animated  spectacle,  and  formed 
a  somewhat  different  opinion.  Not  that  you  would 
ever  set  the  Cuban  down  as  a  "hustler,"  or  witness 
anything  like  the  hurrying  and  scurrying  of  a  colder 
climate  and  more  ambitious  race;  but  you  would 
know  that  the  Cuban  can  work  steadily  and  well,  and 
enjoy  it. 

Variant  Views.    As  you  might  naturally  mistake 
about  the  Cubans  as  to  idleness  or  industry,  so  about 


70       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

other  matters.  If  you  trust  to  appearances  you  are 
sure  to  misjudge;  and  when  it  comes  to  relying  upon 
others,  you  may  well  be  confused  and  amused  at 
the  variety  and  contrariety  of  views  expressed  in 
the  books,  each  writer  seeming  to  pride  himself  on 
having  at  least  portrayed  the  "real"  Cubans.  You 
turn  from  Hazard's^  clever  pencil  sketches  and 
Ballou's"  rhetorical  romance  to  Hill's''  judgelike  air 
and  Pepper's*  careful  analysis;  take  up  Steele's'  spicy 
and  somewhat  too  sarcastic  descriptions  and  coun- 
teract them  with  Cuban  Cabrera's*  unfaltering  eulo- 
giums — until  no  wonder  if  you  find  yourself  in 
mental  maze. 

A  Cuban  Composite.  To  risk  a  generalization, 
proved  by  its  exceptions,  it  may  not  be  unfair  to  say- 
that  the  Cuban  is  lacking  chiefly  in  the  qualities  that 
are  conspicuous  in  American  men — virility,  initia- 
tive, will-power,  tenacity,  reverence  for  woman,  and 
conscience.  If  the  Cuban  has  these  qualities,  it  is 
in  unobtrusive  proportions.  He  has  capacity  curi- 
ously combined  with  childishness,  the  result  of  an 
undisciplined  and  dwarfed  past.  Lightness  of  char- 
acter is  the  impression  he  carries.  You  would  ex- 
pect from  him,  with  his  creole  color  and  large  ex- 
pressive eyes,  momentary  fine  impulses,  occasional 
nobility  of  action,  but  not  a  sustained  movement  re- 
quiring persistence  and  self-sacrifice.  The  Church 
which  dominated  his  childhood  and  his  conscience 


I.  Samuel  Hazard,  Cuba  with  Pen  and  Pencil;  2.  M.  M. 
Ballou,  Dtie  South;  3.  R.  T.  Hill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico;  4.  C. 
M.  Pepper,  To-morrozu  in  Cuba;  5.  J.  W.  Steele,  Cuban 
Sketches;  6.  R.  Cabrera,  Cuba  and  the  Cubans. 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     71 

did  not  teach  him  the  virtue  of  integrity  nor  the 
necessity  of  honesty.  The  foremost  word  in  his 
dictionary  of  hfe  seems  to  be  Pleasure.  His  Hght- 
ness  shows  itself  in  the  mania  for  gambling  which 
is  all-prevalent,  and  in  the  indifference  to  pursuits 
that  demand  patient  investigation,  hard  intellectual 
effort,  or  scientific  accuracy.  W'hile  the  Cubans 
have  a  measure  of  literary,  scientific,  and  profes- 
sional ability,  and  will  doubtless  develop  more,  they 
have  no  famous  products  of  originality  to  show,  nor 
much  of  high  order  in  literature,  art,  music,  or  ar- 
chitecture. If  they  go  in  for  anything  it  is  for 
politics,  and  candidates  for  offices  will  never  be 
wanting,  from  the  presidency  down.  But  other 
countries  have  office-seekers  in  plenty  also,  and 
"grafters"  as  well.  It  should  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  Cubans  were  held  in  a  practical  slavery,  with  no 
chance  for  training  in  official  duties  or  for  initia- 
tive in  any  direction,  and  therefore  must  be  given 
both  time  and  opportunity  to  prove  themselves. 
That  they  possess  patriotism,  love  of  liberty,  cour- 
age, and  resolution,  let  revolution  witness.  That 
noble  spirits  were  among  them  is  proved  by  the  ef- 
forts made  to  establish  free  schools  and  libraries, 
and  by  such  men  as  d'Arango,  patriot  and  philan- 
thropist— an  honor  to  any  land.' 

The  Point  of  It  All.  Admit  that  the  average 
Cuban  at  his  best  fails  to  inspire  you  with  full  con- 
fidence and  that  at  his  worst  he  fills  you  with  con- 
tempt.    Yet  there  is  something  likable  about  him 


I.  For  sketch  of  his  life,  see  Cuba  and  the  Cubans,  311. 


72       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

and  something-  hopeful.  If  he  lacks  ambition,  think 
how  he  has  never  known  it,  or  if  a  spark  of  it  came 
into  existence  in  his  breast,  how  it  was  extinguished. 
If  he  lacks  a  fine  sense  of  honor,  think  of  his 
heredity,  which  has  always  mistaken  false  pride 
for  that  high  quality.  If  he  lacks  fairness,  think 
that  he  has  never  met  it  in  the  past,  and  too  seldom 
meets  it  now  in  his  transactions  with  the  Americans 
and  others  who  are  in  Cuba  not  for  the  Cubans' 
good  but  for  their  own  gain.  If  he  lacks  respect 
for  womanhood  and  fidelity  to  his  marriage  vows, 
think  that  his  race  never  knew  it,  and  rejoice  that 
you  are  an  American,  that  here  the  American  ideal 
of  woman,  wife,  home,  chivalry,  still  persists,  al- 
though sullied  by  shameless  divorce  records  and 
modern  social  teachings. 

Other  Considerations.  Again,  if  the  Cuban 
seems  deficient  in  intellectual  achievement,  think 
how  he  has  been  deprived  of  educational  advantages 
and  dwarfed  in  opportunity  to  exercise  and  thus 
develop  his  mental  powers.  If  he  is  indifferent  to 
history  and  world  affairs,  think  how  he  has  been 
shut  away  from  the  world's  life.  If  he  loves  pleas- 
ure and  ease  above  everything  else,  think  how  all 
that  develops  the  higher  powers  of  man  has  been 
denied  him  by  a  governmental  and  ecclesiastical  tyr- 
anny he  could  not  escape.  If  he  is  irreligious,  or 
indifferent  to  religion,  think  how  his  moral  nature 
has  been  blunted  and  his  religious  nature  stunted, 
how  he  has  been  mocked  and  misled  and  misused 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     73 

by  the  only  representative  of  religion  he  was  al- 
lowed to  know,  which  claimed  the  absolute  power 
over  his  soul,  to  save  or  damn  it,  and  then  made 
barter  of  his  birth,  marriage,  death,  and  burial. 
Surely,  as  we  think  of  all  these  things,  we  shall 
judge  charitably  and  speak  softly,  and  trust  that 
under  a  new  political,  educational,  social,  and  re- 
ligious order  there  will  evolve  a  new  Cuban, 
worthy  of  his  island  home  and  leader  in  the  crea- 
tion there  of  a  Christian  civilization.  If  he  fur- 
nishes hard  soil  for  the  missionary  sower  of  the 
good  seed,  yet,  when  the  gospel  grips  him,  as  in 
many  cases  it  has,  he  reveals  the  man  within  and  be- 
comes a  missionary  force.  He  has  a  heart,  and  the 
gospel  is  a  wonderful  transformer. 

Spaniards  in  the  Island.  The  Spaniards,  who 
number  about  185,000  and  comprise  almost  the 
whole  of  the  foreign  population,  carry  on  the  re- 
tail business  and  are  found  in  banking,  scientific,  and 
mechanic  employments.  Thirty-six  per  cent,  of 
them  are  in  Havana,  and  eighty  per  cent,  are  males 
— thus  responsible  for  the  preponderance  of  the  sex 
in  Cuba.  They  do  not  become  citizens,  and  are 
known  as  intransigents  (transients),  who  use  Cuba 
for  money-making.  Nothing  is  more  baneful  to  a 
country's  morals  than  a  class  of  this  kind  which 
comes  without  family  to  seek  fortune  and  then  re- 
turns home  to  spend  it.  Immigration  from  Spain 
continues  because  the  poor  young  Spaniard  sees  an 
open  door  in  Cuba.    He  is  a  trader,  the  Cuban  is  not. 


74       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

With  his  rule  and  ofrices  gone,  it  seems  unHkely  tliat 
the  man  from  Spain  will  ultimately  play  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  country's  development. 

Colored  People.  One  fine  thing,  at  least,  Span- 
ish domination  has  to  its  credit — it  gave  to  the  black 
man  opportunity  and  his  equal  civil  rights,  recog- 
nizing no  color  in  its  code  or  decrees.  In  the  in- 
dustrial life  of  the  cities  and  towns  the  Cuban 
negroes  work  in  the  manufactures  and  trades  side 
by  side  with  the  whites  for  the  same  pay  and  show 
equal  skill.  Social  equality  does  not  exist,  but  social 
toleration  does,  with  friendliness  and  absence  of 
friction;  and  this  has  worked  for  the  good  of  all. 
One  thing  her  people  well  know — that  but  for 
her  races  of  color  and  her  revolutionary  leaders  of 
mixed  blood  there  would  be  no  Cuba  Libre  to-day. 
The  colored  people  of  Cuba,  as  everywhere,  are 
religious  by  temperament,  and  respond  readily  to 
the  preaching  of  the  missionaries.  In  many  places 
a  goodly  proportion  of  the  converts  are  of  their 
number,  and  have  found  place  in  The  mission 
churches. 

3.       CUBAX    WOxMEN 

Repressive  Environment.  The  condition  of 
W'oman  in  Cuba  leaves  much  to  wish  improved.  The 
word  "degraded"  seems  strong,  but  it  has  been  ap- 
plied by  a  Cuban,  Dr.  Alfonso.  Secretary  of  the 
Special  Commission  of  Hygiene,  and  since  1903 
much  interest  has  been  aroused  in  movements  in- 
tended to  secure  for  working  women  better  chances, 


TYPES    OF    CUBAN    GIRLS 


THE    PEOPLP:    and    their    life     75 

and  for  all  women  a  life  of  greater  development  and 
happiness.  A  special  investigator^  has  treated  this 
subject  instructively,  showing  how  through  unfavor- 
able environment,  evil  conditions,  and  inveterate 
prejudices,  the  great  mass  of  the  sex  has  been 
dwarfed,  repressed,  and  deprived  of  opportunity  to 
develop  natural  abilities.  While  a  few  daughters 
of  the  cultured  minority  of  Cuban  aristocracy  under 
the  old  regime  received  a  fine  education  in  Europe 
or  the  United  States,  the  masses  of  women  were 
doomed  to  a  grinding  struggle  for  existence  or  to  a 
home  life  without  inspiration. 

Accepted  Program  for  Her.  The  Cuban  women 
in  the  past  have  known  but  one  ambition — marriage. 
From  earliest  childhood  the  girls  are  taught  to  make 
themselves  attractive  to  the  male  sex ;  and  as  one 
means  they  must  always  appear  amiable  and  sweet, 
and  practise  all  arts  of  allurement.  Those  who  can 
afford  servants  do  not  work,  for  any  sort  of  work 
is  degrading,  and  for  a  Cuban  woman,  or  man 
either,  to  carry  even  a  small  package  in  the  street 
w^ould  be  to  lose  caste.  All  sorts  of  silly  social  no- 
tions persist.  The  women  sew  a  little,  if  they  hap- 
pen to  feel  like  it,  but  not  well ;  they  crochet  almost 
incessantly.  They  seldom  have  money.  If  they 
wish  to  buy  anything,  they  have  it  charged.  The 
man  of  the  household  is  king,  holds  the  pocketbook, 
and  his  word  is  unquestioned  law.  The  women  ac- 
cept his  beliefs  or  the  priest's  without  attempting 

I.  Frederic  M.  Noa,  "The  Condition  of  Women  in  Cuba," 
Outlook,  March   ii.   1905. 


y6       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

to  think  for  themselves.  They  do  not  read,  and  a 
larg-e  percentage  of  them  do  not  know  how. 

Interest  in  Her  Future.  You  cannot  fail  to  be- 
come interested  in  the  Cuban  woman  so  long  de- 
prived of  worthy  place.  You  are  glad  she  is  to 
have  at  last  an  opportunity  to  develop  the  best  in 
her  nature.  But  the  Cuban  men  have  yet  to  be 
taught  to  value  and  respect  the  opposite  sex  at  its 
true  worth,  and  this  will  take  a  new  generation.  In- 
grained Spanish  prejudice  still  regards  it  as^  de- 
grading for  a  Cuban  woman  to  earn  an  honest  liv- 
ing, and  even  to  become  a  trained  nurse  involves 
social  ostracism.  Of  the  757,592  women  in  the 
island  only  60,000,  or  less  than  ten  per  cent.,  have 
some  form  of  profitable  employment.  This  becomes 
significant  in  view  of  the  striking  fact  that  out  of 
574,645  Cuban  women  of  marriageable  age,  only 
twenty  per  cent,  are  married,  and  there  are  62,108 
widows;  while  at  the  same  time  the  males  outnum- 
ber the  females  in  the  total  population  by^57.ooo. 

Resultant  Immorality.  As  a  result  of  the  evil 
conditions,  greatly  enlianced  by  the  wars,  since  1899 
the  white  Cuban  woman,  who  has  been  justly  noted 
as  a  faithful  wife  and  mother,  and  who  formerly 
seemed  immune  against  vice,  now  exceeds  both  the 
colored  and  foreign  women  in  the  fallen  class.  Al- 
ways the  victim  of  illiteracy  and  aimlessness,  lack 
of  employment  and  general  wretchedness  completed 
her  downfall.  It  is  essential  to  the  future  of  Cuba 
tliat  the  reforms  begiui  should  be  carried  out,  and 
the  regeneration  of  woman  be  secured  up  to  a  plane 


THE    PEOPLE    AXD    THEIR    LIFE     ^7 

\vhere  her  highest  faculties  of  heart,  brain,  and 
hand  may  be  fully  and  freely  developed.  A  woman 
poet  of  Cuba  truly  says  that  "in  countries  in  which 
woman  is  degraded,  nothing  survives  that  is  great ; 
slavery,  barbarism,  and  moral  ruin  is  the  inevitable 
destiny  to  which  they  are  doomed." 

Agencies  for  Her  Improvement.  Dr.  Alfonso  is 
directly  in  the  philanthropic  and  missionary  line 
when  he  proposes  the  establishment  of  special  free 
industrial  and  technieal  schools  in  the  city  and  rural 
districts  where  poor  and  ignorant  women  and  girls 
are  found ;  more  centers  like  the  Woman's  Exchange 
of  Havana,  where  the  products  of  woman's  skill  can 
be  exposed  for  sale;  rightly  conducted  employment 
agencies  and  protective  societies,  which  could  help 
raise  the  standard  of  wages  to  a  living  scale;  sav- 
ings-banks, with  provisions  for  insurance,  and  pen- 
sions for  old  age  and  sickness ;  building  associations 
for  women's  homes,  and  places  of  refuge.  The  new 
era  in  Cuba  must  mean  a  more  fully  occupied  and 
highly  cultivated  life  for  the  Cuban  women.  But 
it  sliould  still  center  that  life  in  the  home  and  not  in 
the  shop.  The  peril  lies  in  forgetting  that  apart 
from  dire  necessity  there  is  something  better  for 
woman  than  to  be  a  wage-earner,  and  that  is  to  be 
a  wife  and  mother.  The  family  is  still  the  most 
important  and  sacred  center  of  human  life. 

Woman's  Work  for  Woman.  Of  course  it  is  the 
fundamental  aim  of  the  Christian  missionaries  to 
teach  the  Cuban  women  what  a  true  Christian  home 
is  and  how  to  become  its  creator,  so  that  the  child- 


78       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

life  of  Cuba  may  have  a  different  training  and  ideal. 
Cuba  is  notable  for  a  very  large  proportion  of  chil- 
dren in  her  population,  and  in  the  Christian  train- 
ing of  these  children  lies  the  promise  and  potency 
for  good  of  the  future.  There  is  no  more  beneficent 
agency  at  work  to-day  in  Cuba  than  the  women 
missionary  teachers  and  workers,  and  their  number 
should  be  greatly  augmented. 

4.     How  THE  Cuban  People  Live 

A  Different  World.  It  is  fascinating  to  observe 
the  manners  and  customs  of  a  strange  people,  and  in 
few  places  will  you  find  more  that  is  strange  to  see 
than  in  Cuba.  The  island  is  only  a  few  miles  from 
our  shores,  yet  is  almost  as  foreign  as  Egypt  or 
Japan.  You  sail  from  New  York  in  a  January  bliz- 
zard, and  in  three  days  are  in  a  land  where  stoves 
or  furnaces  for  heating  purposes  are  needless  and 
unknown.  That  single  fact  signifies  another  type  of 
civilization,  with  differences  which  affect  the  mode 
of  living,  style  of  building,  methods  of -business,  and 
ultimately  the  habits  of  thought  and  product  of 
character. 

Phases  of  Life.  There  are,  of  course,  distinct 
phases  of  life  to  be  studied  :  ( i )  The  life  in  Havana, 
with  its  gradations  of  rich,  medium,  and  poor;  (2) 
life  in  the  smaller  cities,  with  similar  subdivisions, 
although  not  such  strong  contrasts;  (3)  life  in  the 
rural  districts,  also  having  grades;  and  (4)  life  on 
the  great  sugar,  coffee,  and  tobacco  plantations,  with 
its  unique  features.     Social  gradations  obtain  in  all 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     79 

countries,  but  you  see  them  in  marked  form  in  Cuba 
and  curiously  commingled.  Pride  and  prejudice 
doubtless  exist,  but  they  do  not  show  themselves 
after  our  fashion. 

Santiago.  Havana  is  the  only  really  large  city 
in  Cuba.  While  each  of  the  lesser  cities  has  its 
own  characteristics,  in  main  features  they  are  all 
alike,  and  Santiago  may  be  taken  as  typical.  All  are 
built  around  the  Spanish  plaza,  or  public  square. 
Here  always  in  most  prominent  place  is  the  cathedral 
or  church,  for  the  Roman  Catholics  have  ever  been 
strategic  in  this  respect.  No  matter  what  changes 
come  or  how  business  encroaches,  you  never  hear  of 
their  churches  moving  up-town  or  away  from  the 
center.  They  build  new  ones  without  abandoning 
the  old.  Here,  too,  are  the  finest  public  and  private 
buildings.  The  plaza  has  foliage  and  flowers,  prom- 
enades and  band-stand,  and  very  likely  some  statu- 
ary. Under  electric  illumination  its  garden-plots 
and  towering  palms,  framed  by  the  white  architec- 
ture of  Moorish  or  Spanish  grace  and  airiness,  pre- 
sent a  fairy-land  picture ;  and  here  in  the  tropical 
evening  is  to  be  witnessed  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
social  spectacles  to  be  found  in  any  land. 

Appearance  of  Houses.  Everything  is  odd.  Go- 
ing down  any  street,  you  note  the  long  lines  of  low 
cement  buildings,  square,  mostly  one  story,  occa- 
sionally two,  rarely  three,  with  the  picturesque  tile 
roofs  and  fluted  eaves ;  the  worn  pavement  of  cobble 
or  concrete ;  the  absence  of  sidewalks,  unless  the 
foot-wide  slight  elevation  along  the  walls  can  be 


8o       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

counted  as  such ;  the  box-shaped  houses,  with  great 
front  portal  opening  directly  from  the  street,  and 
huge  openings,  extending  nearly  from  floor  to  ceil- 
ing, iron-barred,  without  sash  or  glass  (there  are 
no  windows  in  Cuba)  ;  the  tiny  balconies,  if  there  be 
a  second  story,  where  the  ladies  love  to  cluster  in  the 
afternoon  to  see  the  passers-by;  the  stores  thrust  in 
anywhere  between  residences ;  and  die  finest  houses 
and  the  poorest  in  immediate  contiguity. 

Mingling  of  Colors  and  Objects.  Everywhere 
you  see  color;  color  in  dress,  on  tlie  walls — bril- 
liant blues,  startling  greens,  pale  pinks,  Pompeiian 
reds,  and  profuseness  of  yellow,  with  cream  and  be- 
smirched white.  Add  to  this  the  cerulean  foreground 
of  the  bay,  and  the  green,  purple,  and  gray  back- 
ground of  the  mountains — and  you  have  a  color 
tone  marvelous  indeed.  If  the  mixture  of  mural 
hues  is  curious,  still  more  curious  is  the  mixture  of 
men,  women,  and  children,  horses,  mules,  goats,  and 
dogs,  cabs  and  carts,  venders  and  pedLers,  in  the 
narrow,  crowded,  and  hot  streets;  and  you  soon  dis- 
cover that  the  pedestrian  must  look  out  for  him- 
self. 

The  Market.  In  early  morning  all  the  town  is 
represented  at  market,  apparently,  and  the  bargain- 
ing is  a  study  worthy  of  Cervantes'  pen.  The  price 
first  asked  is  never  what  you  are  expected  to  pay; 
buyer  and  seller  both  know  this,  if  Cubans,  and  the 
joy  of  the  day  is  tlie  dickering  and  bickering.  How 
the  Spanish  tongue  flies!  How  the  Cubans  love  to 
"palaver" — that  is  close  English  for  their  palabras 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     8i 

— and  how  triumphant  is  the  outcome!  The  only- 
safe  rule  for  an  American  is  never  to  undertake  a 
purchase  until  he  knows  how  much  he  ought  to  pay. 
Then  wait  until,  after  proving  to  you  that  such  a 
price  will  forever  beggar  him  and  his  innocent  chil- 
dren, the  merchant  smilingly  accepts  it.  Of  late 
there  are  a  few  stores  in  Havana  and  elsewhere  that 
have  adopted  the  custom  of  plainly  marking  the 
price  on  all  goods  and  sticking  to  the  mark — and 
within  a  generation  that  plan  will  probably  be  gen- 
erally followed ;  but  it  will  take  the  sport  out  of  the 
shopping  for  many  a  customer. 

Unclothed  Children.  But  you  will  soon  learn 
that  nothing  primitive  is  unbelievable  in  Cuba.  For 
you  come  upon  a  group  of  children,  and  three  or 
four  of  them,  under  the  age  of  five,  are  absolutely 
without  clothing  and  also  absolutely  unconscious 
that  such  a  condition  is  cause  for  comment  or  criti- 
cism. It  is  the  custom  among  the  common  classes, 
and  is  easy  for  the  mother,  but  cruel  to  the  helpless 
child,  which  must  often  suffer  from  the  daily 
changes  in  the  climate.  When  a  Cuban  father  is 
particular  to  put  on  an  overcoat  after  nightfall  and 
complains  of  the  cold,  it  is  strange  that  he  should 
not  suspect  that  his  naked  child  might  possibly  need 
the  protection  of  clothing.  The  prevalence  of  such 
a  custom  indicates  the  level  of  the  civilization. 

The  Central  Patio.  As  you  pass  along  the  street, 
you  can  freely  look  into  the  parlor  of  a  Cuban  home, 
for  this  is  not  regarded  as  out  of  place.  To  gain 
entrance  to  the  family  life  is  not  so  easy,  indeed  is 


82       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

most  difficult.  The  town  house,  except  the  poor  sort, 
is  invariably  built  around  a  patio,  or  inner  square, 
which  usually  has  fruit  and  shade  trees,  flowers,  and 
often  a  fountain.  There  is  one  great  door  and  hall- 
way, and  no  back  entrance,  so  that  everything,  from 
horses  and  carriage  to  grocer  and  butcher,  charcoal 
and  family  must  pass  in  through  this  one  portal. 
And  out  of  it  also  must  go  everything,  including 
stable  and  kitchen  refuse,  beggar  and  visitor,  bride 
and  corpse.  The  parlor  opens  from  one  side  of 
the  great  hall  and  fronts  on  the  street,  while  the 
family  rooms  are  ranged  about  the  patio.  So  also 
are  the  kitchen  and  the  stables,  if  horses  are  kept. 
Frequently  an  enclosed  veranda  runs  around  the 
inside,  and  the  dining-table  is  set  there.  When  there 
was  no  general  drainage,  the  cesspool  was  in  the 
center  of  the  patio,  so  that,  as  Steele  suggests,  "if 
there  is  any  disease  bred  from  it  all  can  have  a 
fair  chance  and  no  favors  shown.  Lito  this  went 
everything  liquid,  including  stable  dpainage."  No 
wonder  yellow  fever  raged  and  that  General  Wood 
soon  got  after  the  sanitary  conditions — or  rather 
found  there  were  none. 

Parlor  Arrangement  and  Furniture.  In  the  par- 
lor you  see  two  long  rows  of  rocking-chairs,  exactly 
opposite  each  other,  with  a  rug  of  carpeting  or  mat- 
ting between.  The  males  must  sit  on  one  side  and 
the  females  on  the  other.  The  parlor  is  a  room  of 
state,  cool,  aiiy,  cement  or  marble  floored,  with 
abundance  of  bric-a-brac,  few  pictures  on  the  walls, 
and    furniture    cane-seated    and    wood,    with    no 


COURTING    IN   CUBA 
COURTYARD    OF    A    WEALTHY    CUBAN    HOME 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     83 

stuffed  sofas  or  chairs,  or  anything  soft  and  warm ; 
the  reason  given  being  that  insect  life  renders  it 
difficult  to  keep  carpets  and  coverings  from  vermin. 
There  is  a  piano  in  every  home  of  any  pretensions, 
and  the  children  must  learn  to  drum  it  after  a  fash- 
ion. 

Family  Scenes.  If  the  parlor  seems  somewhat 
stilted,  if  books  are  conspicuous  by  their  absence, 
there  is  nevertheless  an  air  of  comfort  and  genial- 
ity. And  when  a  family  group  is  seen  within — 
mother  and  children,  probably,  for  the  father  is  sel- 
dom at  home  when  he  can  be  at  business  or  club — 
you  look  upon  a  pleasant  sight. 

Courtship.  A  word  should  be  said  concerning  the 
Cuban  young  man  who  is  in  love,  and  the  customs 
of  courtship,  for  both  parties  to  it  merit  sympathy. 
The  sexes  are  carefully  kept  apart  in  their  educa- 
tion and  socially,  as  in  France,  and  the  young  girl 
is  never  allowed  to  go  out  unattended.  She  is  taught 
from  childhood,  however,  that  the  prime  object  of 
her  life  is  to  catch  a  beau,  while  every  natural  means 
of  doing  so  is  closed  to  her.  The  code  is  this: 
When  a  young  man  fixes  his  eyes  upon  a  young 
woman  longingly,  he  walks  repeatedly  past  the 
barred  parlor  window  and  tries  to  gain  her  atten- 
tion; if  she  looks  with  favor  upon  him,  after  a  time 
she  approaches  the  grille,  and,  as  he  passes,  a  few 
words  may  be  exchanged.  This  continues  until  the 
mother  has  a  chance  to  learn  whether  he  is  a  proper 
suitor;  if  so,  he  may  be  given  leave  to  call  formally, 
and  the  window  courtship  is  given  up  for  the  par- 


84       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

lor  rocking-chair,  in  which  he  sits  facing  not  only 
the  fair  one  but  her  mother  or  other  chaperon — for 
the  couple  must  not  be  left  alone  a  minute.  In  this 
public  manner  he  must  make  his  proposal  of  engage- 
ment ;  and  this  granted,  lie  must  wait  upon  his  lady 
every  evening,  or  account  for  his  failure  to  do  so. 
His  freedom  is  gone,  yet  he  must  "do  his  courting 
in  the  presence  of  the  family,  and  utter  his  sweet- 
nesses across  the  critical  ear  of  his  future  mother- 
in-law.  Until  they  have  been  to  church  the  two 
are  never  left  alone.  The  whole  family  take  sly 
turns  in  watching  them.  But  there  is  human  na- 
ture everywhere,  and  the  two  are  always  getting  off 
to  a  window-seat  or  distant  pair  of  chairs.  They 
enjoy  all  the  bliss  they  can  with  great  difficulty,  and 
with  all  mankind  looking  on.'"  And  that  barred 
window  becomes  their  chief  aid  to  stolen  interviews 
after  all. 

Rural  Homes.  Only  a  few  miles  from  the  city 
and  you  are  in  the  extreme  of  rural  conditions,  with 
people  living  in  a  bewildering  state  of  simplicity. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  some  of  them  have  advanced 
much  upon  the  natives  whom  Columbus  found  on 
the  island,  and  you  see  on  all  sides  such  lack  of  ani- 
mation as  makes  you  feel  tired  yourself.  The  spell 
of  manana  (to-morrow)  falls  upon  you  as  a  relief. 
This  country  life  has  its  grades.  There  are  charm- 
ing villas,  Moorish  and  graceful,  with  window 
grilles  which  are  works  of  art  and  flower  gardens 
dazzlincr  in  their  blooms;  and  next  door  thatched- 


I.  J.  W.  Steele,  Cuban  SIcctches.  6i. 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     85 

roof  shacks  with  single  room  and  no  window,  just 
a  door-opening.  Go  into  the  one-room  shack  or 
hut,  with  its  dirt  floor.  There  is  no  furniture  to 
speak  of — a  rude  chair,  a  bench  or  two,  a  box  for 
table  most  likely,  and  a  pile  of  rags  in  the  corner. 
That  is  the  bedding — the  bed  is  a  rug  on  the  floor 
anywhere,  and  to  be  shared  with  the  livestock, 
whatever  it  may  be.  Dirt  is  everywhere.  Perhaps 
a  few  unwashed  dishes  are  on  the  table.  The  ovea 
is  in  the  yard  outside,  and  little  cooking  is  done. 
Wild  fruit,  yams,  plantains,  rice,  a  piece  of  pork — • 
that  is  tlie  diet.  Children  have  grown  up  without 
knowing  what  it  was  to  see  a  table  set  or  to  sit  down 
to  a  regular  meal,  as  we  understand  a  meal.  There 
is  usually  a  common  soup-pot,  filled  with  the  native 
ajiaco  or  vegetable  stew,  into  which  all  may  dip. 
Dishwashing  does  not  much  trouble  the  mother,  nor 
any  kind  of  washing  for  that  matter. 

Lack  of  Taste.  Clothing  seldom  requires  her 
attention.  The  same  dress  lasts  her  year  in  and 
out.  Pride  in  personal  appearance  or  cleanliness 
she  does  not  comprehend.  The  husband  gets  his 
scanty  outfit  as  best  he  can,  and  is  no  slave  to  col- 
lars and  cuffs,  starched  shirts  or  tight  shoes.  The 
smaller  children  cost  nothing  for  clothing,  and  the 
older  ones  wear  just  enough  to  fit  requirement 
rather  than  figure.  Squalor,  illiteracy,  blank,  so  it 
seems  to  you,  and  without  outlook.  But  the  Cuban 
family  of  this  class  would  not  understand  if  you 
tried  to  teach  them  that  there  was  a  better  way  of 
living — unless  you  offered  more  potatoes  and  rice. 


86       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

and  a  fresh  game-cock.  This,  remember,  is  aH 
the  existence  they  know;  and  while  ambitionless 
and  ignorant  and  improvident,  they  are  not  un- 
happy, though  sodden  from  your  point  of  view. 
But  what  a  distance  they  must  be  Hfted,  if  they  are 
to  reach  a  real  Christian  civihzation !  It  is  into 
homes  hke  these  that  the  woman  missionary  car- 
ries new  ideals  and  begins  work  with  faith,  soap, 
and  water. 

Easy  Conditions.  The  rural  Cuban  is  a  most 
leisurely  mortal.  You  very  rarely  see  him  working 
on  the  land,  and  most  of  it  remains  unworked.  It 
is  said  to  be  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  a  man 
owning  hundreds  of  acres  with  less  than  an  acre 
under  cultivation.  A  colonist  once  asked  an  intel- 
ligent-looking elderly  Cuban  why  he  did  not  culti- 
vate more  of  his  land.  "What  is  the  use?"  was  his 
reply.  "When  I  need  money  I  pick  off  some 
bananas  and  sell  them.  I  get  for  them  twenty  or 
twenty-five  dollars,  which  lasts  me  ^  long  time. 
When  I  need  more  money  I  pick  more  bananas." 
That  is  the  common  Cuban  view.  His  natural  in- 
difference, combined  with  the  exactions  of  Spanish 
government,  has  kept  his  mind  free  from  any  anx- 
iety as  to  making  provision  for  the  future. 

Estate  of  Planters.  Hiere  is  a  marvelous  con- 
trast between  the  country  i)alm-thatched  shack  and 
the  palatial  estate  of  sugar  or  tobacco  planter. 
Something  of  feudal  lord  and  vassal  retainer  still 
persists  in  this  sphere,  and  here  you  see  the  Cuban 
at  his  stateliest   and  meet   with   his  most  gracious 


BULL-FIGHT   OF  THE   PAST 
COCK-FIGHTING   OF   THE  PRESENT 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     87 

hospitality.  He  is  a  "grand  seignior"  indeed,  and 
Avith  the  Spanish  grandee  belongs  to  a  class  by  him- 
self— a  class  growing  rare.  They  have  their  vil- 
lages for  the  hundreds  of  workers,  and  a  distinct 
community  existence.  May  it  be  long  before  for- 
eign capitalistic  combinations  destroy  this  personal 
relation  of  employer  and  employed. 

Small  Range  of  Play.  Of  small  games  for  the 
home  there  seem  to  be  practically  none.  It  is  doubt- 
ful whether  the  boys  and  girls  know  the  meaning  of 
genuine  play.  If  they  have  fun,  it  is  in  their  own 
way  and  eludes  you.  Nine  tenths  of  any  game  is 
sure  to  be  talking,  screaming,  and  gesticulation.  In 
the  villages  you  may  see  the  children  running  in 
some  kind  of  tag  game,  or  throwing  oranges  at 
one  another,  or  scrapping.  Quite  as  likely  there 
will  be  groups  of  boys  gathered  together,  and  if  you 
approach  unobserved  you  will  see  that  they  are 
gambling  over  some  game  like  "craps."  Gambling 
has  spread  its  fascination  over  young  and  old. 

Public  Sports  and  the  Lottery.  The  public 
sports  were  bull-fighting,  cock-fighting,  and  a  sort 
of  ball  game  called  jal-alai — all  made  the  medium 
of  gambling.  Of  late  baseball  has  been  introduced 
and  is  growing  in  favor.  It  can  be  played  all  the 
year  around  except  when  rain  falls,  and  the  school- 
boys take  to  it,  especially  to  disputing  with  the  um- 
pire. The  Americans  did  away  with  the  bull-ring 
and  cockpit  under  military  rule,  but  the  Cubans 
were  not  reconciled  to  this,  nor  to  the  abolishment 
of  the  lottery,  and  the  new  Cuban  government  re- 


88       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

established  the  lottery  and  cock-fighting  on  a  legal 
status,  while  a  bill  was  introduced  to  allow  bull- 
fighting, but  not  pressed  for  fear  of  exciting  too 
much  foreign  prejudice  against  the  government. 
The  lottery  is  not  only  legalized,  but  the  government 
shares  in  the  profits,  and  received  $100,000  from 
the  first  drawing  in  1909.  This  is  revenue  at  the 
expense  of  the  moral  welfare  and  economic 
well-being  of  the  people  at  large,  and  all  of  these 
sports,  except  ball,  are  demoralizing  and  increase 
the  difficulty  of  the  missionary  work  of  social  and 
ethical  elevation. 

5.     Havana  and  Some  of  Its  Life 

Railway  Development.  As  you  take  the  daily 
express  from  Santiago  to  Havana,  or  vice  versa, 
with  its  Pullman  sleeper,  combination  dining  and 
observation  coach,  and  its  comfortable  first  and  sec- 
ond-class cars,  scheduled  to  make  the  run  of  540 
miles  in  twenty-four  hours  (for  $26  first-class, 
$13.50  second-class  fare),  it  is  difficult  to'^realize 
that  when  the  American  soldiers  entered  Santiago 
in  1898  there  was  no  railway  connection  between 
these  most  important  points.  Nothing  shows  the 
progress  since  independence  more  plainly  than  tlie 
railroad  construction.  \\'hile  Cuba's  first  railway 
line  was  built  by  Americans  in  1836.  it  was  not 
until  1902  that  Sir  William  Van  Home  of  Canada 
took  hold  of  the  enterprise,  with  English,  Ameri- 
can, and  Cuban  capital  combined;  and  the  United 
Railwavs  of  Havana  are  a  result.    To-dav  there  are 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     89 

2,329  miles  of  road,  of  which  the  United  Railways 
control  over  1,000  miles.  The  main  or  trunk  line 
takes  you  through  the  center  of  the  island  and  the 
chief  inland  cities  of  the  provinces — Camaguey, 
Santa  Clara,  Matanzas,  Ciego  de  Avila,  Santo 
Domingo,  Guines,  Pinar  del  Rio ;  while  the  branches 
make  connection  with  the  various  ports  on  both 
the  north  and  south  shore.  The  rapid  building  of 
good  roads — begun  by  General  Wood,  and  now  car- 
ried on  with  renewed  energy  by  the  Cuban  govern- 
ment— will  aid  wonderfully  in  the  opening  up  of 
the  island.  The  present  road  projects  call  for  mil- 
lions, and  prove  that  the  people  have  awakened  to 
some  essential  factors  of  development. 

Harbor  and  City.  Havana  harbor,  shaped  like 
an  outspread  hand  with  the  entrance  for  wrist,  is 
a  wonderful  spectacle  by  day  or  night.  On  one 
side  the  grim  walls  of  the  fortifications,  Morro  and 
Cabana,  suggestive  of  savage  slaughter  and  un- 
utterable tragedy;  on  the  other  the  capital,  sug- 
gestive of  gaiety,  pageantry,  and  romance.  The 
bay  has  all  the  charm  and  picturesqueness  of  a 
Mediterranean  port;  its  waters  are  populous  with 
the  vessels  of  many  nations  and  many  types.  Seen 
from  the  water,  Havana  is  wholly  Oriental,  with 
the  low  sky-line  broken  by  towers  and  domes  and 
tufts  of  palm  trees,  the  buildings,  a  rich  variegation 
of  color. 

Signs  of  Modernity.  WHiatever  it  was  formerly, 
Havana  is  an  unusually  fresh  and  clean  city  now, 
and  has  a  water-supply  and  sanitation  system  up  to 


90       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

date,  thanks  to  those  same  Americans  who  stamped 
yellow  fever  out  of  Cuba.  Havana  streets  are 
varied.  Some  are  wide  and  Hned  with  noble  build- 
ings and  classic  private  residences,  with  small  parks 
and  abundant  shade ;  others  are  no  wider  than  some 
of  the  sidewalks  in  New  York — one  shopping  street 
only  twenty-five  feet  across — and  have  gay  awnings 
that  stretch  from  side  to  side,  forming  an  arcade 
with  soft  light  that  makes  the  shopwindows  all  the 
more  attractive.  These  shopping  streets,  like 
Obispo  and  O'Reilly  (queer  name  for  a  Cuban) 
have  amazing  windows  and  amusing  signs. 

Architecture.  The  arcliitecture  of  Havana  is 
Saracenic,  Gothic,  Grecian,  and  mixed,  and  gives  a 
sense  of  grandeur,  even  where  there  is  an  air  of 
decay.  The  white  limestone  discolors  finely  with 
age,  and  the  kalsomines  of  varied  hues  here  as  in 
other  places  produce  most  picturesque  effects.  The 
houses  do  not  dififer  materially  from  those  already 
seen,  although  there  are  more  of  the  two-story  pat- 
tern, with  store-room,  kitchen,  stable,  and"  entry 
on  the  first  floor,  while  a  wide  flight  of  stairs  leads 
from  the  patio  to  the  second  story,  with  its 
wide  corridor,  sometimes  marble-pillared,  running 
around  the  court,  the  rooms  leading  off  from  this, 
giving  an  opening  front  and  rear  for  the  air  to 
pass  through. 

Churches.  The  Roman  churches  of  the  capital 
have  a  wealth  of  Dutcli  and  Spanish  tiles,  of  carved 
mahogany  and  fine  ceilings  of  rare  wood  mosaic. 
In  location  thev  are  not  prominent,  e\'en  the  cathe- 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     91 

dral  standing  apart  from  the  old  plaza,  so  that  you 
have  to  hunt  for  it — typical  perhaps  of  the  incon- 
spicuous part  religion  plays  in  the  life  of  the 
Havanese.  The  Presbyterian  church  is  a  stately 
building,  distinctly  American  in  architecture,  hence 
different  enough  from  its  surroundings  to  be  con- 
spicuous. The  Methodists  and  Baptists  also  have 
churches  of  size. 

Columbus  Cathedral.  The  Cathedral,  built  by  the 
Jesuits  in  1704,  is  a  good  specimen  of  Spanish  ren- 
aissance. The  exterior  is  plain  and  quaint,  with  a 
tower  at  each  angle  of  the  front.  The  interior  is 
sumptuous.  Later  historical  researches  have  made 
it  extremely  doubtful  whether  the  remains  of  Co- 
lumbus were  ever  in  Havana.  It  does  not  matter, 
the  memory  of  the  great  explorer  fills  the  place,  and 
the  exquisitely  beautiful  white  marble  temple  erected 
in  his  honor  in  the  plaza  not  far  away  recalls  his  in- 
trepid exploits  and  brings  vividly  to  mind  scenes 
long  ago  enacted  on  this  very  island. 

Cemetery  and  Funeral  Customs.  The  Cristobal 
Colon  Cemetery  is  one  of  the  capital's  notable  insti- 
tutions, and  has  some  monuments  justly  famous — 
those  of  the  Students,  the  Firemen,  Garcia,  and  Go- 
mez, "Cuba's  grand  old  man,"  among  the  foremost. 
The  gateway  is  elaborate  in  ornamentation.  If  you 
chance  to  see  a  funeral  procession  of  the  wealthy 
class,  it  is  a  pompous  show.  The  hearse  is  gorgeous, 
highly  colored  and  heavily  gilded,  with  very  likely 
a  motto,  "Look  for  me  to-morrow,  you  will  not  find 
me."     The  horses   are  in  trappings   of  orange  or 


92       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

^ 

purple  and  black ;  the  driver  wears  a  court  dress  of 
purple  or  scarlet,  with  three-cornered  hat,  claw- 
hammer coat,  knee-breeches  and  silver  shoe-buck- 
les; and  there  are  liveried  footmen  in  number  cor- 
respondini^  with  the  grade  of  the  funeral. 

Men  Only  at  the  Burial.  You  note  that  there 
are  only  men  present,  for  the  place  of  the  mourning- 
women  is  held  to  be  at  home.  On  arrival  at  the 
cemetery  the  coffin  is  placed  before  the  sacristy  on 
the.  left  just  inside  the  gate,  while  the  priest  in- 
tones a  prayer  and  the  officials  inspect  the  papers 
and  open  the  coffin  to  see  if  the  right  body  is  with- 
in. This  over,  the  coffin  is  borne  on  the  shoulders 
of  four  bearers  to  the  grave,  either  stone-cased  with 
marble  slab  for  cover,  or  a  vault  above  ground.  In 
funerals  of  the  poorer  classes  the  coffin  is  borne  on 
the  shoulders  of  bearers  or  friends  from  the  house 
to  the  cemetery. 

Strange  Lack  of  Respect.  You  note  the  initials 
on  many  tombs,  "E.  P.  D.,"  on  others  "E.  G.  E.," 
and  as  you  are  told  that  these  signify  res'pectively 
En  pas  descana  (He  rests  in  peace)  and  En  gracia 
este  (He  is  in  grace),  you  recall  the  curious  custom 
that  strikes  a  chill  through  you,  so  remote  is  it  from 
5^our  ideas  of  the  sacredness  of  the  last  resting-place. 
There  are  graves  for  rent,  for  temporary  occupancy, 
as  well  as  permanent  ones;  and  even  coffins  can 
be  rented  for  the  funeral,  as  well  as  hearses  and 
bearers.  It  is  a  singular  custom  indeed.  A  tem- 
porary grave  for  one  person  for  five  years  costs 
$io;  a  grave  for  three  persons  for  the  same  period, 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     93 

$3  each,  as  though  there  were  a  bargain  in  burial. 
And  what  happens  at  tlie  expiration  of  the  term? 
The  bones  are  removed  and  thrown  into  the  Osario 
or  bone-pit,  a  walled  receptacle  seventy-five  feet 
square  and  fifty  feet  deep  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  grounds.  Here  are  heaped  indiscriminately 
skeletons,  fragments  of  coffins,  and  discarded  tomb- 
stones. "He  rests  in  peace"  indeed !  Does  not  such 
a  custom  betray  a  defect  somewhere  in  the  make-up 
of  the  people — at  least  a  want  of  sentiment  and 
reverence  that  is   fundamental? 

Love  of  Pleasure.  This  is  a  pleasure-loving  pop- 
ulation, and  in  the  early  evening  it  seeks  the  open. 
As  the  sun  goes  down,  tropical  starlight  and  a  bril- 
liant electric  illumination  take  its  place.  The  streets 
and  promenades  are  filled  with  people,  the  air  with 
music.  Bands  are  playing  in  the  parks,  and  at  the 
sea  wall  the  great  plaza  presents  a  w^onderful  scene. 
The  waves  break  softly  on  the  beach,  or  if  there  is 
a  north  wand  boom  loudly  as  they  send  their  spray 
high  in  air.  The  cafes  are  alight,  and  all  grades  of 
society  mingle  in  the  throngs.  You  can  find  the 
motley  or  the  elegant,  but  everywhere  good  nature 
and  courtesy  and  easy  enjoyment.  These  people 
apparently  have  no  care,  and  life  is  an  evening  fes- 
tival year  in  and  out. 

Not  Extremely  Immoral.  Of  course  if  you  fol- 
lowed them  home  there  might  be  a  somewhat  dif- 
ferent story,  and  you  are  aware  that  all  Havana  is 
not  out  of  doors  and  frivolous.  But  it  is  a  gay  and 
careless  life  as  a  whole.     Havana  has  wickedness 


94       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

enough,  without  doubt,  but  to  pronounce  it  more 
wicked  than  any  other  of  the  world's  capitals  would 
be  foolish;  and  as  for  drunkenness  and  the  vilest 
phases  of  life  our  great  cities  are  incomparably 
worse.  Nor  can  it  be  said  that  the  Americans  in 
general  who  make  temporary  stay  in  Havana  tend 
to  improve  its  morals,  as  they  certainly  do  not  its 
manners.  Cuban  social  life  does  not  conform  to 
American  notions,  nor  do  the  grosser  amusements, 
but  it  is  not  therefore  all  bad.  Havana's  immoraHty 
is  worn  on  its  sleeve. 

6.  The  Press  and  Literature 
Journalism  Before  Freedom.  The  history  of  the 
press  began  in  Cuba  in  179J  with  the  little  fools- 
cap weekly.  Papcl  Period ico,  which  by  18 10,  w^hen 
freer  commerce  meant  also  larger  intellectual  life, 
developed  into  a  daily,  its  profits  going  to  the 
founding  of  a  library.  Thenceforward  there  was 
a  press  in  Cuba,  after  a  fashion,  and  of  course 
there  w-ere  papers  representing  the  two  classes — the 
dominating  Spanish  and  the  dominated  Cubans. 
For  twenty  years,  during  the  rebellion,  there  w^as 
no  free  press  and  the  voice  of  the  Cuban  was  not 
heard.  But  between  1847  a"<i  1868  such  papers  as 
El  Sigh,  El  Pais,  and  Faro  Industrial  were  edited 
by  prominent  professional  men  for  love,  not  profit, 
and  at  much  sacrifice  and  peril.  Garcia,  Suzarte, 
and  Cisneros  were  of  this  class  of  editors — all  revo- 
lutionists, but  of  the  learned  professions,  journal- 
ists gratuitously   for  the  good  of  the  country.     It 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     95 

would  be  well  if  there  were  such  journalists  at  the 
head  to-day.  Cuba  undoubtedly  sorely  needs  more 
newspapers  of  a  high  class,  and  a  literature  worthy 
of  the  name.  Outside  of  Havana  there  is  no 
daily  newspaper  of  importance,  while  of  those 
published  in  the  capital  only  two  or  three  merit 
serious  consideration.  Cuba  is  not  free  from  the 
"yellow"  streak  that  afflicts  a  portion  of  the  Ameri- 
can press  and  makes  it  pestilential.  Legislative  ef- 
forts to  correct  this  evil  are  now  agitating  the  peo- 
ple of  the  island.  A  journalism  representative  of 
the  best  spirit  of  the  people,  voicing  their  aspira- 
tions, guiding  their  policies  and  progress,  elevat- 
ing in  literary  tone,  could  be  of  immense  service. 

Lack  of  Good  Literature.  As  for  good  litera- 
ture, the  lack  of  it  is  pitiful.  When  you  have 
found  a  bookstore,  the  stock  aside  from  schoolbooks 
is  meager;  and  the  character  of  the  books  obtain- 
able, with  the  exception  of  some  Spanish  classics,  is 
most  discouraging.  If  the  demand  be  judged  by  the 
supply,  it  is  commonly  for  a  salacious  novel  in  Span- 
ish, copied  closely  from  the  worst  of  the  French 
school.  Trashy,  vulgar,  demoralizing,  openly  or 
insidiously  vile,  if  this  is  what  the  people  have  to 
read,  it  is  not  so  unfortunate  that  of  the  430,514 
persons  who  claim  Cuban  citizenship,  217,584  can- 
not read  or  write — more  than  one-half  of  these  be- 
ing Cuban  whites.  The  illustrated  papers  are  not 
of  a  high  order;  and  Cuba  has  no  need  that  is  more 
urgent  than  that  for  mental  quickening,  elevation 
of  the  taste,  and  good  books,  magazines,  illustrated 


96       ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

periodicals,  and  newspapers  of  the  first  class,  as  edu- 
cational aids  to  the  schools. 

Cuba's  Task.  In  this  new  era  of  liberty  the 
Cubans  should  be  allowed  freely  to  work  out  their 
own  destiny,  under  the  treaty  that  makes  it  impos- 
sible for  the  island  to  become  again  the  scene  of 
prolonged  revolution  and  bloodshed.  There  is  no 
reason  why  Americans  should  not  under  the  pres- 
ent Cuban  government  find  themselves  wamily  wel- 
comed in  every  part  of  the  beautiful  land.  Whether 
they  are  so  welcomed  or  not  depends  upon  them- 
selves and  the  way  in  which  they  treat  the  Cubans. 
And  as  for  tlie  latter,  it  may  well  be  doubted 
whether  the  happiness  of  the  island  inhabitants 
would  be  increased  if  the  resources  of  it  were  to  be 
exploited  by  foreign  capital.  Cuba  may  well  pray 
to  be  kept  free  from  benevolent  trusts  and  from  any 
combinations  that  would  lessen  her  individual  own- 
ership and  independence.  In  small  farms  ratlier 
than  in  gigantic  strides  through  inrushing_ca])ital 
and  colonists,  in  the  elevation  of  the  family  life 
and  of  moral  and  religious  standards,  through  that 
gospel  which  our  missionaries  are  teaching  them, 
lies  the  true  development  of  the  people  and  the  per- 
manent welfare  of  the  republic. 


THE    PEOPLE    AND    THEIR    LIFE     97 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  III 

Aim:  To  Understand  the  Social  and  Industrial  Life  of 
THE  Cubans  and  to  Realize  Their  Need  for  Christi- 
anity 

I.*  What  knowledge  regarding  a  people  do  you  deem 
essential  before  you  are  able  to  express  a  fair  judg- 
ment? 

2.  Compare  the  area  of  Cuba  with  Switzerland,  Ten- 
nessee, Texas,  and  British  Columbia. 

3.  Compare  the  population  of  Cuba  with  Spain,  Vir- 
ginia, and  Norway. 

4  Contrast  a  typical  Cuban  gentleman  with  a  man  of 
the  laboring  class  in  a  rural  section. 

5.*  Is  this  contrast  more  favorable  than  a  similar  con- 
trast in  the  United  States  or  Canada?  Explain 
fully. 

6.  What  do  you  consider  the  dominant,  intellectual,  so- 
cial, and  moral  characteristics  of  a  typical  Cuban? 

7.  What  conditions  under  Spanish  rule  will  account  for 
some  of  these  characteristics? 

8.*  Will  the  Cubans,  Spaniards,  or  Americans  exert  the 
greatest  influence  in  the  future  development  of  Cuba? 
Give   reasons. 

9.  Enumerate  the  disadvantages  under  which  the  women 
of  Cuba  live. 

10.  How  do  you  account  for  this  condition  when  Cr.b.i 
is  so  near  the  United  States? 

11.  What  influences  are  chiefly  responsible  for  the  pres- 
ent condition  of  women?     Discuss  fully. 

12.*  What   plans    would    you    inaugurate    to    improve    the 

condition  of  women? 
13.     What  do  you  believe  have  been  the  chief  hindrances 

to  the  industrial  development  of  Cuba? 


98       ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

14.*  What  changes  would  you  recommend  to  produce 
greater   industrial    prosperity? 

15.  What  can  the  people  of  the  United  States  do  to  in- 
crease commercial  activity? 

16.  How  do  you  account  for  the  desire  for  gambling 
among  the  Cubans? 

17.  Why  do  you  suppose  they  have  so  few  wholesome 
sports? 

18.*  To  what  extent  is  the  lack  of  education  responsible 
for  their  low  standards? 

19.  Do  you  believe  that  the  wise  establishment  of  schools 
will  improve  morals,  sports,  and  the  use  of  good 
literature?     Give  reasons. 

20.  Give  as  many  reasons  as  you  can  why  you  consider 
a  pure  Christianity  essential  to  the  best  social,  moral, 

industrial,  and  religious  development   of  the   Cubans. 

REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 
CHAPTER  HI 
The  People. 

Hill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  XI. 
Pepper,  To-morrow  in  Cuba,  VHI-X. 
Porter,  Industrial  Cuba,  VH. 

The  Cities.  ~" 

Hill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  XII,  XIII. 
Porter,  Industrial  Cuba,  IX. 


CUBA  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD 


99 


Three  results  of  Romish  domination  are  everywhere  in  evi- 
dence— an  uncultured  intellect,  a  perverted  conscience,  and  a 
corrupt  life.  RomaBism  as  a  religion  has  utterly  failed  in  Its 
mission,  despite  its  entrenched  position  as  a  social  system  and 
a  commercial  enterprise.  The  subjection  of  family  life  which 
Rome  has  sought  and  secured  has  resulted  in  the  immoral  con- 
ditions that  create  the  problems  witli  which  our  evangelical 
missions  In  Cuba  have  to  deal.  The  real  intervention  needed 
In  Cuba  Is  a  moral  and  spiritual  one.  Only  our  evangelical 
missions  can  withstand  and  offset  those  influences  which  made 
governmental  intervention  necessary,  and  to  perpetuate  which 
Influences  all  the  wealth  and  craft  of  Jesuitism  are  being 
brought  to  bear  in  places  high  and  low. 

— J.   N'xlton    Greene 

Cuba  is  an  Ideal  missionary  field  in  which  to  demonstrate. 
on  the  highest  plane  of  efl^ciency,  the  most  statesmanlike  mis- 
sionary policies.  The  development  of  a  national  policy,  carried 
out  by  all  working  in  harmony  and  cooperation  under  a  comity 
arrangement,  seems  natural  and  feasible,  and  is  essential  in 
order  to  prove  to  the  Cubans  that  the  Church  of  Christ  is  one. 
To  show  how  necessary  this  is,  an  educated  and  intelligent 
Cuban  business  man,  in  commenting  upon  the  three  mission 
churches  in  his  citj%  said:  "I  can  understand  one  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  and  one  Protestant  Churcli,  but  here  are  these 
three   Protestant   churches.     Which    one    Is   the    better   grade?" 

— Harry  Wade  Hicks 

Cuba  Is  in  spiritual  darkness  and  sorely  needs  the  gospel. 
There  Is  great  spiritual  ignorance.  The  conception  of  a  living, 
redeeming  Savior  is  unknown.  To  use  the  words  of  one  of  our 
native  preachers:  "Rome  has  experimented  400  j'Cars,  and 
this  Is  the  result.  It  is  time  for  some  one  else  to  take  a  turn 
at  It." 

—  M.  N.  McCall 

In  Cuba  as  In  Spain  the  Church  was  against  civil  reforms 
and  freedom  of  worship.  It  is  the  general  testimony  that  the 
Church  fees  for  marriage,  baptism,  and  burials  were  merci- 
lessly exacted.  The  people  paid  tribute  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave.  The  Spanish  priesthood  in  Cuba  as  a  class  personified 
ignorance,  cupidity,  and  indifference  to  their  holy  office.  This 
la  a  harsh  Judgment.  It  has  been  pronounced  in  calmness  and 
sorrow  by  Catholic  observers. 

— Charles  M.  Pepper 


IV 

CUBA  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD 

I.     What  the  Missionaries  Found 

Connection  of  Religion  and  Morals.  The  social 
and  moral  life  of  a  people  cannot  be  separated  from 
religion,  which  is  the  most  powerful  factor  in  that 
life.  Especially  is  this  true  of  countries  in  which  a 
state  Church  exists.  All  history  reveals  religion  as 
the  chief  molding  power,  and  this  it  wnll  ever  be,  be- 
cause religion  touches  the  deepest  springs  in  human 
nature.  Given  a  corrupt  form  of  religion  and  you 
need  not  look  for  a  virtuous  people,  Cuba  furnishes 
no  exception  to  a  general  rule. 

Results  of  Catholic  Control  of  Cuba.  "By  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them,"  said  Jesus.  The  Roman 
Catholics  can  hardly  declare  it  unjust  to  apply  this 
principle  of  the  Savior  to  the  product  of  their 
Church  in  Cuba.  If,  after  centuries  of  complete 
domination  over  the  lives  and  government  of  a  peo- 
ple, we  find  an  appalling  absence  of  moral  and  eth- 
ical standards,  of  educational  and  philanthropic  in- 
stitutions, of  national  and  individuaJ  ideals,  of  hon- 
esty and  chastity,  of  chivalry  and  conscience,  w^hat 
shall  be  said  of  the  sins  of  omission  and  commission 


102      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

of  the  Church  under  whose  instruction  and  dictation 
this  came  to  be  ?  And  when  you  discover  that  in  all 
the  years  of  corruption  and  oppression  the  Church 
never  raised  its  voice  for  relief  even,  not  to  say  re- 
lease or  liberty;  when  you  find  that  the  Church  had 
no  protest  to  make  against  the  cruel  forms  of  sport 
such  as  the  bull-fight  and  the  cocking-main,  or 
against  the  spread  of  gambling  among  all  classes 
through  government  lottery;  when  you  learn  that 
the  priesthood  was  shamelessly  and  openly  corrupt, 
so  that  it  became  in  itself  a  source  of  moral  rotten- 
ness, according  to  the  confession  of  some  of  its  own 
number,  and  deserved  the  contempt  it  inspired  in  the 
best  men;  when  you  know  that  through  the  greed  of 
this  Church  the  masses  of  the  people  were  practic- 
ally forced  into  families  not  bound  by  legal  or 
Church  ceremonial ;  when  you  read  the  long  and  ter- 
rible chapter  of  illiteracy,  of  intellectual  repression, 
of  fostered  superstitions,  of  infamous  impositions 
in  the  name  of  religion  upon  a  hopelessly  chained 
people — it  is  not  unjust  to  apply  the  Master's  test. 
Social  and  Moral  Conditions.  As  to  the  social, 
moral,  and  religious  contlilions  when  Spain  gave  up 
the  island  there  is  a  general  agreement  on  the  part 
of  all  conversant  with  the  facts.  A  very  complete 
and  impartial  account  of  that  period  is  given  by 
Mr.  Pepper.'  There  is  no  denial  of  the  evil  condi- 
tion into  which  the  people  had  fallen,  through  no 
fault  of  their  own.     The  fact  that  more  families 


I.  To-morrozv  in   Cuba.  XTV. 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD 


'O 


were  living  together  without  legal  marriage  ties  than 
with  them  was  due  to  the  charges  of  the  cnra  or 
priest  being  so  high  that  the  poor  Cuban  could  not 
meet  the  expense,  and  the  Spanish  government  rec- 
ognized as  legal  marriage  only  that  solemnized  by 
the  Church/  But  the  condition  of  the  Church  itself 
had  become  most  pitiable.  When  the  state  support 
was  taken  away,  many  of  the  immoral  priests  for- 
tunately sought  other  fields,  and  the  struggle  for 
existence  began  in  all  the  churches,  Bayamo,  his- 
toric city  of  eastern  Cuba,  for  example,  formerly 
had  twelve  Catholic  churches,  now  there  is  only  one, 
and  that  very  feeble.  The  priests,  formerly  rich  and 
powerful,  now  are  poor,  and  their  power  is  greatly 
lessened. 

A  General  Testimony.  This  statement  agrees 
with  the  opinion  of  the  missionary  leaders  of  the 
various  denominations,  and  American  Catholics  have 
admitted  the  lamentable  conditions  and  the  wide  ex- 
tent to  which  the  Cuban  people  had  abandoned  the 
Church,  as  identified  with  all  that  was  hateful  in 
the  past.  Cuba  was  in  spiritual  darkness  when  the 
dawn  of  independence  broke  upon  the  island,  and 
the  results  of  centuries  of  false  teaching  rendered 
the  work  of  the  gospel  messengers  more  difficult  in 
some  respects  than  it  is  in  a  pagan  field  where  the 
name  of  Christ  has  never  been  heard.     Where  there 


I.  A  graphic  description  of  the  way  in  which  the  Romish 
Church  worked  the  marriage  laws  and  still  hedges  the  matri- 
monial path  with  difficulties,  will  be  found  in  Appendix  C. 
A  description  is  also  given  there  of  the  ingenious  manner 
in  which  the  Church  got  possession  of  the  people's  property. 


104      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

has  been  built  up  a  system  of  saints'  days,  charms, 
amulets,  penances,  and  image  worship,  it  is  difficult 
to  introduce  the  spiritual  conception  of  a  Savior, 
the  only  mediator  between  God  and  man.  Cuba  was 
steeped  in  superstition,  ignorance,  and  indifference 
—a  nation  without  Christ. 

2.  The  Begixxixg  of  Protestant  Missions 
Prompt  Occupation  of  Field.  The  history  of 
systematic  missionary  effort  in  the  island  begins 
with  the  American  conquest.  As  soon  as  it  became 
evident  that  the  long-locked  doors  of  Romanism 
were  to  be  unbolted,  representatives  of  the  Mission 
Boards  in  the  United  States  began  to  bestir  them- 
selves, and  in  a  very  short  time  plans  were  laid  for 
Protestant  evangelization.  The  constitution  guaran- 
teeing religious  liberty  went  into  eft'ect  January  i, 
1899.  The  denominations  which  speedily  had  mis- 
sionaries in  the  field  were  the  Northern  and  South- 
ern Baptists  (the  latter  having  had  a  mission  in 
Havana  for  some  time  prior  to  the  war  ofTibera- 
tion),  the  Southern  Methodists,  the  Northern 
Presbyterians,  the  Episcopalians,  the  Christians, 
and  the  Friends.  By  agreement  entered  into  be- 
tween the  Northern  and  Southern  Baptists  in  No- 
vember, 1898,  Porto  Rico  and  the  two  eastern 
provinces  of  Cuba  were  to  .be  cared  for  by  the 
Northern  Baptists,  and  the  central  and  western 
provinces  of  Cuba  by  the  Southern  body.  The 
Friends  established  themselves  in  eastern  Cuba,  and 
the  Southern  Methodists  also  actixely  entered  there, 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       105 

and  rapidly  the  points  of  importance  were  occupied, 
while  the  Preshyterians  and  Congregationalists 
gave  their  attention  to  the  western  section,  and  the 
Episcopalians  made  the  central  province  the  chief 
held  of  labor,  although  missions  were  started  in  the 
east  at  Santiago  and  other  points. 

A  Glad  Reception.  The  missionaries  were  re- 
ceived everywhere  at  first  with  joy.  It  was  enough 
tliat  they  were  Americans,  for  the  Americans  were 
regarded  as  the  saviors  of  Cuba.  But  more  than 
that,  the  common  people  were  eager  to  hear  the 
gospel  which  was  absolutely  new  to  them,  and  were 
equally  ready  to  join  the  Protestant  or  American 
Church,  without  question  or  understanding  -of  the 
spiritual  nature  of  the  Christian  Church.  One  of 
the  earliest  missionaries^  in  eastern  Cuba  says  that 
the  eagerness  to  hear  the  gospel  and  embrace  every- 
thing American  lasted  for  some  time ;  then  came  the 
inevitable  reaction  against  Americans  and  every- 
thing identified  in  the  Cuban  minds  with  the  United 
States.  At  the  bottom  of  the  reaction,  with  its 
distrust  and  dislike,  was  undoubtedly  the  work  of 
the  Romish  system,  for  the  clerical  and  political 
leaders  did  everything  in  their  power  to  make  the 
masses  of  the  Cuban  people  believe  that  the  Protest- 
ant missionaries  were  in  the  island  to  work  secretly 
for  its  annexation  to  the  United  States.  For  a  time 
the  characteristic  undermining  efforts  seemed  to 
meet  with  a  degree  of  success,  and  the  missionaries 
had  to  exercise  great  patience  and  tact.     But  gradu- 

I.  Dr.  H.  R.  Moseley. 


io6     ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

ally  the  people  became  able  to  discriminate,  and  to 
have  confidence  in  the  purposes  and  character  of  the 
missionaries.  Suspicion  was  bound  to  give  way  be- 
fore the  upright  lives  and  unselfish  ministries  of 
the  men  and  women  who  were  zealously  engaged  in 
doing  good.  Before  the  first  ten  years  of  work  were 
closed,  the  Cuban  people  understood  why  the  Ameri- 
can missionaries  were  in  Cuba,  and  appreciated  in 
part  at  least  what  they  were  accomplishing  for  the 
general  welfare. 

3.  Cuba  a  ]\Iodel  Field 
In  many  Ways  a  Model  Field.  Cuba  is  a  model 
mission  field  in  many  respects.  With  its  popula- 
tion of  two  millions  and  its  compact  area  equal  to 
that  of  a  single  State  of  the  Union,  as  Pennsyl- 
vania; w^ith  railroads  reaching  into  every  province 
and  populous  region ;  with  religious  freedom,  and  a 
people  set  in  a  spirit  of  protest  against  a  religion 
that  had  failed  to  meet  their  needs,  the  conditions 
favor  the  presentation  of  the  gospel  in  its  simplicity. 
Mr.  Harry  Wade  Hicks,  after  his  careful  investiga- 
tion of  the  various  fields,  says:  ''Several  wise  and 
sympathetic  observers  of  religious  conditions  in 
Cuba  testified  that  the  vast  majority  of  Cubans  of 
all  classes  were  Protestants  at  heart,  and  therefore 
more  ready  to  listen  to  Christian  instruction  and  to 
accept  it  from  the  Protestant  leaders  than  would  be 
the  case  if  Roman  Catholicism  had  not  failed  so 
largely  in  its  spiritual  mission.  The  early  prejudice 
against  American  missionaries  is  dying  out  because 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       107 

of  familiarity  with  their  peaceful  and  dignified 
though  forceful  and  steadfast  methods.  It  would  be 
gratifying  if  this  could  be  said  generally  of  Ameri- 
cans and  other  foreigners.  With  an  adequate  mis- 
sionary force  on  the  field,  a  disposition  to  press  the 
campaign,  and  a  rapidly  multiplying  and  strength- 
ening Cuban  Church,  the  outlook  for  a  speedy  de- 
velopment of  pure  Christianity  in  the  island  is 
brighter  than  in  any  other  Latin  country,  and  prob- 
ably any  non-christian  land."  Had  Mr.  Hicks  been 
in  Porto  Rico,  he  would  have  included  that  island 
in  the  most  hopeful  class. 

Christian  Comity.  As  the.  work  developed,  the 
desirability  of  some  plan  of  cooperation  was  ap- 
parent, and  in  1902  representatives  of  missionary 
organizations  met  in  Cienfuegos  to  consider  ques- 
tions of  comity  in  their  work.  All  of  the  denomi- 
nations participated  except  the  Southern  Baptists 
and  the  Episcopal  Church,  which  made  the  island 
a  missionary  diocese  with  resident  bishop.  The 
conference  reached  a  general  agreement  to  the  effect 
that  cities  of  6,000  population  and  over  were  open 
to  all  who  chose  to  enter,  but  that  it  was  undesirable 
to  have  even  the  appearance  of  denominational 
rivalry  in  the  smaller  cities  and  towns,  and  that  the 
denomination  which  first  occupied  and  maintained 
stated  services  in  any  of  these  places  should  have 
the  exclusive  care  thereof.  Certain  provinces  were 
assigned  along  the  lines  stated,  and  there  were  other 
specifications  intended  to  prevent  the  fact  as  well 
as  the  appearance  of  competition  and  overlapping. 


io8      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

While  some  modifications  have  been  made  in  the 
comity  plan  in  Cuba,  and  while  the  spirit  and  let- 
ter of  the  agreement  have  not  always  been  observed 
as  thoroughly  as  might  be  wished,  yet  there  is  rea- 
son to  hope  for  excellent  results.  Comity  confer- 
ences have  been  held,  and  there  is  an  annual  meet- 
ing of  missionary  representatives,  which  cannot  fail 
to  promote  unity  and  fellowship  in  the  common 
work.  The  closest  cooperation  will  make  for  the 
more  speedy  evangelization  of  the  island,  and  the 
building  up  of  a  strong  and  united  Protestantism. 
Union  Sunday  School  Association.  Directly  in 
this  line  is  the  recent  advance  in  interdenomina- 
tional work  in  the  interests  of  Sunday-schools.  The 
Sunday  School  Association  for  Cuba,  at  its  meeting 
in  Cienfuegos  in  November,  1909,  created  an  execu- 
tive committee  of  thirty-three,  for  the  effective 
prosecution  of  the  work.  The  Louisiana  State  Sun- 
day School  Association  in  cooperation  with  the  In- 
ternational Sunday  School  Association  has__prom- 
ised  to  support  a  Sunday  School  Secretary  for 
Cuba,  and  to  publish  literature  approved  by  the 
executive  committee,  which  will  direct  the  work  of 
the  Secretary.     This  means  much  for  Cuba. 

4.     The  Field  a.s  Missionaries  See  It 

A  Missionary's  View.  A  missionary  who  has 
labored  for  many  \ears  in  western  Cuba  and  who 
knows  the  situation  at  first  hand,  furnishes  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  present  general  conditions:'    "Of 

I.  Dr.  J.  Milton  Greene. 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       109 

the  Cuban  field  as  a  Avhole  I  should  say  that  it  ranks 
with  all  the  other  Spanish  colonies  so  far  as  Rom- 
ish prestige  holds  sway  among  the  higher  classes  of 
society  and  among  the  women  generally.  But  so 
far  as  the  men  are  concerned,  even  in  the  most 
aristocratic  society,  the  Church  is  a  social  mold 
whose  impress  must  be  sought  in  marriage,  bai>- 
tism,  and  funeral  rites  as  a  matter  of  good  form 
and  social  propriety,  rather  than  as  a  religious  force 
and  institution.  Not  one  in  a  hundred  men  in 
Cuba  attend  the  weekly  functions  of  the  church, 
while  disesteem,  not  to  say  positive  distrust  of  the 
clergy  is  well-nigh  universal  among  them.  A  very 
small  minority  among  the  fathers  of  Cuba  consent 
th.at  their  wives  and  daughters  shall  frequent  the 
confessional,  and  day  by  day  the  number  grows 
less.  These  men  say  what  all  intelligent  observers 
of  actual  conditions  say,  that  judged  by  its  fruits 
Romanism  as  a  moral  and  religious  system  has  ut- 
terly failed  in  its  mission  and  has  rather  fostered 
ignorance  and  superstition  among  the  people. 

Attitude  toward  Protestantism.  **But  this  niMsi 
not  be  construed  as  indicating  a  fa\orable  attitude 
toward  the  Protestant  Church.  Disbelief  and  a 
cold  indifference  to  all  that  is  called  religious  coex- 
ist in  their  case  with  a  nominal  adherence  to  Ro- 
manism. They  pay  a  certain  respect  to  it  as  one 
does  to  a  souvenir  of  past  generations  which  bears 
the  family  crest  but  is  of  no  practical  use.  With 
many,  adherence  to  Romanism  as  a  cult  seems  to 
be    almost    inseparable    from   patriotism,   and    our 


no      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Protestant  faith  is  often  called  and  recoiled  from 
as  an  American  religion.  But  when  we  speak  of 
the  masses,  and  especially  of  the  rural  peasant  class, 
it  must  be  said  that  a  very  general  spirit  of  inquiry 
exists  among  them  for  a  religion  that  will  'make 
good,'  and  a  distinguishing  feature  of  our  rural 
congregations  is  that  the  men  outnumber  the 
women. 

Illiteracy  and  Immorality,  "Among  our  great- 
est obstacles  is  the  fact  that  not  more  than  twenty 
per  cent,  of  the  adults  can  read,  and  this  of  course 
hinder?  greatly  our  progress  in  the  instruction  of 
the  people.  The  utter  disregard  of  the  Sabbath, 
also,  gambling,  cock-fighting,  and  sensuality,  with 
the  wide-spread  prevalence  of  falsehood,  dishonesty, 
insincerity,  and  instability — all  these  mark  a  moral 
condition  which  is  indeed  a  condition  here  and  not 
simply  a  theory  in  moral  philosophy.  It  speaks 
loudly  and  in  unmistakable  terms  as  to  the  inherent 
falseness  of  moral  teaching  in  the  Romish  Qiurch, 
that  all  the  things  mentioned  above  and  many  others 
not  to  be  described  have  no  place  in  the  catalogue 
of  sins  to  be  repented  of  as  crimes  against  God. 
This  people  need  a  new  moral  terminology  and  dic- 
tionary. INIoral  and  religious  terms  which  to  us  ex- 
press most  solemn  and  momentous  truths  have  for 
them  no  special  significance.  They  are  all  Chris- 
tians because  all  have  been  baptized  and  confirmed. 
And  if  they  must  confess  to  certain  faults  they  class 
them  all  under  the  head  of  'venial  sins,'  for  which 
forgiveness  is  easily  obtained. 


POTTERY    CLASS  BASKET    WEAVING 

BROOKS    INSTITUTE,    GUANTANAMO,    CUBA 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       iii 

Exemplary  Converts.  "Such  are  the  fruits  of 
Romish  education  or  the  lack  of  it.  What  might 
have  been  done  by  the  hereditary  Church  here  dur- 
ing her  four  centuries  of  splendid  opportunities  is 
exemplified  in  the  exemplary  Christian  character  of 
renewed  souls  in  all  our  congregations.  In  saying 
this  I  do  not  lose  sight  of  the  impulsive,  emotional, 
convulsive,  unstable  tendencies  which  may  justly  be 
called  characteristic  of  the  Cubans  as  a  people,  but 
\\Q  cannot  doubt  the  power  of  God's  Spirit  accom- 
panying his  Word  to  overcome  all  this,  as  we  see 
in  so  many  cases  the  firmness  under  persecution,  the 
faithfulness  in  spite  of  temptations,  the  self-denial 
when  it  cuts  to  the  quick,  and  the  liberality  abound- 
ing out  of  poverty,  as  well  as  a  tireless  spirit  of 
propagandism  which  scores  of  our  incipient  Chris- 
tians display.  I  am  often  asked  what  sort  of  Chris- 
tians our  Cubans  make,  and  I  am  always  disposed 
to  reply,  'Better  than  you  and  your  countrymen 
would  be  if  you  had  been  situated  as  they  have 
been.' 

Responsiveness  of  Children.  "To  turn  to  a 
brighter  side,  we  find  great  encouragement  in  our 
day-schools.  The  Cuban  children  are  as  a  class 
quick  to  learn  and  very  responsive  to  kind  treat- 
ment. Affectionate  in  disposition,  demonstrative 
in  temperament,  with  wonderful  imagination  and 
memory,  they  are  easily  molded  and  make  rapid 
progress  under  wise  and  efficient  teaching  and  dis- 
cipline." 


112      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

5.     The  Educational  Development 

Vitalizing  Romanism.  One  result  of  the  vigor- 
ous prosecution  of  the  mission  work  has  been  the 
awakening  of  the  Roman  Catholics  in  many  places 
to  greater  activity  and  the  necessity  of  adopting 
new  methods.  Still  possessed  of  wealth,  due  to  the 
generosity  of  the  United  States  during  its  provi- 
sional incumbency,  the  once  dominant  Church  is 
now  establishing  schools  and  colleges,  to  hold  the 
youth  if  possible.  New  churches  and  new  school 
buildings  are  being  erected,  for  the  maxim  holds, 
"It  is  the  child  that  makes  the  Catholic."  A  mis- 
sionary reports  that  a  recent  demonstration  on  the 
day  of  the  "Immaculate  Conception"  had  thousands 
of  children  in  line,  and  the  direction  of  the  child 
mind  holds  the  power.  In  the  children  of  Cuba  lies 
tlie  hope  of  the  island  and  of  our  Protestant  work. 
It  is  essential,  therefore,  that  the  very  best  school 
training  be  given  to  the  rising  generation,  under 
missionary  auspices.  This  is  necessary,  not  only 
for  the  raising  up  of  a  native  ministry  thoroughly 
equipped  for  a  ministry  that  will  command  respect 
and  a  hearing,  but  also  for  those  who  are  going  to 
lead  in  public  affairs  and  in  business. 

Schools  Needed.  Already  there  are  several  Prot- 
estant schools  established,  in  the  eastern,  central, 
and  western  parts  of  the  island,  but  there  is  need 
of  greatly  strengthening  these  institutions,  of  en- 
larging them,  and  of  increasing  their  number.  Some 
attempts   at   theological   training  have   been   made, 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       113 

but  there  is  as  yet  no  institution  of  higher  grade 
equal  to  the  demands  of  an  educated  ministry.  In 
the  opinion  of  Mr.  Hicks,  an  enlargement  of  the 
system  of  Christian  education  is  of  fundamental 
importance,  if  Cuba  is  to  have  a  self-directing  and 
self-extending  Church,  which  is  of  course  the  end 
aimed  at.  The  fine  beginning  made  for  the  inter- 
mediate and  high  school  ages  must  be  expanded  till 
thousands  of  Cuba's  brightest  boys  and  girls  annu- 
ally receive  Christian  training.  "To  develop  rap- 
idly the  number  and  capacity  of  boarding-schools," 
he  says,  "and  to  unify  and  raise  the  standard  of  the 
curriculum  gradually,  is  to  ensure  the  future  leader- 
ship of  the  Church  in  Cuba.  No  cost  is  too  great 
to  pay  for  this  result."  As  advance  in  Christian 
education  is  made  and  more  trained  Cuban  leaders 
become  available,  the  number  of  American  workers 
will  gradually  diminish.  This,  too,  is  the  general 
policy;  but  the  native  ministers  must  be  properly 
trained,  intellectually  competent,  and  sufficiently 
mature  in  their  spiritual  experience  before  they  can 
be  entrusted  with  leadership,  if  the  work  is  to  hold 
the  confidence  and  really  win  the  people  of  all 
classes. 

Promising  Pupils.  The  welcome  accorded  to  a 
first-class  school  when  one  is  established  proves  how 
eager  the  Cubans  are  to  give  their  children  better 
advantages.  It  was  my  privilege  to  be  in  Cuba 
when  the  fine  new  buildings  of  the  Colle^ios"  In- 


I.    The   Spanish  word  collcgios  does  not  mean  college  in 
the  American  sense,  but  an  academy  or  high  school  grade. 


114      ADVAXXE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

tcrnacionalcs  at  El  Cristo  were  dedicated,  with  pub- 
lic exercises  that  included  among  the  speakers  the 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  who,  although 
a  Catholic,  expressed  his  pleasure  at  the  opening 
of  an  institution  of  such  high  grade  and  main- 
tained as  a  distinctively  Christian  school,  where  the 
moral  as  well  as  intellectual  welfare  of  the  students 
would  be  cared  for.  It  was  a  delight  to  mingle 
with  the  two  hundred  bright  and  enthusiastic  boys 
and  girls,  young  men  and  women,  and  to  note  how 
they  responded  to  all  sides  of  the  school  life.  They 
came  from  Catholic  as  well  as  Protestant  families. 
Alert  on  the  ball  field,  bright  in  the  classroom,  in- 
terested and  responsive  in  the  chapel  and  the  school 
prayer-meeting,  moving  with  the  characteristic  Cu- 
ban grace  and  courtesy,  that  student  body  w^ould 
win  anybody's  liking.  Then,  at  the  public  exer- 
cises, appropriate  parts  were  assigned  to  two  of  the 
students,  a  young  man  and  a  young  woman,  and 
no  speakers  put  more  point  and  pith  in  their  re- 
marks than  these  representatives  of  the  student 
body,  nor  would  it  be  easy  to  find  in  any  country  a 
more  creditable  performance.  See  how  the  fair, 
creole-complexioned  girl  of  perhaps  sixteen  dis- 
closed a  true  appreciation  of  the  situation  in  these 
words,  spoken,  by  the  way,  in  clearly  enunciated 
English : 

Bright  Appreciation.  "We  are  gathered  to- 
gether here  to-night  for  a  great  purpose.  We  are 
here  to  inaugurate  these  institutions  of  learning. 
After  many  months  of  labor,  and  at  great  expense 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       115 

we  see  realized  in  these  buildings  the  hopes  of  those 
who  have  the  best  interests  of  Cuba  at  heart. 
Events  are  great  in  proportion  to  the  aim  and  pur- 
pose that  have  given  them  birth.  Many  are  the 
transcendental  movements  that  have  been  brought 
before  the  public  since  Cuba  took  her  place  among 
the  nations  as  an  independent  state.  None,  how- 
ever, is  greater  than  the  effort  that  is  being  made 
in  order  to  uplift  the  Cuban  people  by  means  of 
a  liberal  education.  The  enlightenment  of  our  peo- 
ple is  one  of  the  means  by  which  this  nation  can  be 
fitted  to  occupy  its  place  in  the  circle  of  independent 
nations.  Education,  based  upon  the  solid  and  puri- 
fying influences  of  Christianity,  is  the  only  hope  for 
the  future  welfare  of  this  land. 

A  New  Era.  "In  the  erection  of  these  buildings, 
we  see  firm  steps  taken  to  advance  the  cause  of 
education.  Only  as  we  are  prepared  intellectually, 
socially,  and  morally  shall  we  be  able  to  progress. 
Our  land  has  suffered  through  generations  of  wars, 
revolutions,  and  corrupt  government.  These  have 
to  a  great  extent  banished  from  Cuba,  not  only 
the  institutions  of  learning  where  her  children 
could  be  properly  trained,  but  have  sown  the  seeds 
of  ignorance  and  intellectual  indolence.  These  col- 
leges have  been  established  to  meet  a  long  felt 
want.  They  have  thrown  open  their  doors  to  the 
youth  of  our  land,  to  poor  and  rich  alike,  where 
they  can  come  and  drink  deeply  from  the  ever- 
flowing  fountain  of  knowledge  and  wisdom.  In 
these   institutions,   the  vouth  of  our  land  will  re- 


ii6      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

ceive  educational  advantages  superior  to  those  en- 
joyed by  their  forefathers.  From  these  halls  of 
learning  young  men  and  women  will  go  forth  to 
fight  the  battle  of  life  fully  equipped  for  the  fray. 
And  we,  the  charter  pupils  of  these  colleges,  appre- 
ciating the  good  that  has  been  done  in  our  behalf, 
wish  to  add  our  tribute  to  that  already  offered  to 
those  generous  souls  who  have  made  these  magnifi- 
cent; institutions  a  possibility.  In  the  name  of  the 
youth  of  the  land  and  in  the  name  of  future  Cuba 
Libre,  we  thank  you." 

Straightforward  Address.  The  young  man, 
Jorge  Castellanos,  who  is  a  manly  fellow  and  a 
student  for  the  ministry,  made  an  address  full  of 
the  missionary  spirit  and  illustrative  of  the  charac- 
ter that  gives  hope  for  Cuba's  future.  As  school 
addresses,  our  young  people  may  profitably  note 
these  two  examples.  In  straightforward  manner 
the  young  man  said : 

Seed  Planted.  'In  behalf  of  the  students  of  the 
International  Colleges,  I  thank  you  and  th<?  re- 
ligious body  of  which  you  are  a  part,  for  making 
possible  this  opportunity  for  self-advancement.  We 
readily  believe  that  your  sole  object  in  planting  this 
institution  in  our  midst  is  to  make  your  Christ  our 
Alaster  and  his  teaching  our  practise.  We  can  best 
show  our  appreciation  to  you  by  proving  our  loy- 
alty to  him.  You  have  planted  in  our  hearts  tlie 
seed.  It  is  still  growing  but  there  has  been  some 
fruit,  perhaps  not  the  choicest,  not  the  largest,  for 
the  abundant  harvest  is  yet  to  come.     May  we  not 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       117 

become  the  leaven  that  shall  make  the  home  life 
of  Cuba  to  be  the  reflection  of  heaven,  that  shall 
change  the  pubhc  life  to  the  patriotic  life,  and  cause 
the  Christian  life  to  be  the  sought-for  life?  Many 
of  our  homes  are  closed  to  the  minister  whom  you 
have  sent  to  us.  More  still  are  the  hearts  in  those 
homes  that  are  closed  to  the  influences  of  Christi- 
anity. Our  fathers  and  mothers,  our  brothers  and 
sisters  love  us.  They  trust  us.  We  can  take  Christ 
where  the  pastor  will  not  be  listened  to.  The  faith- 
fulness and  loyalty  and  life  of  the  Christian,  as  we 
are  taught  it  here,  we  can  and  we  will  carry  back 
to  our  homes. 

The  Missionary  Impulse.  "The  political  life  of 
Cuba  is  not  all  that  you  desire,  neither  is  it  what  the 
Cuban  hopes  for.  We  are  learning  a  very  hard 
lesson  here.  At  home  we  sometimes  do  as  we  wish. 
We  learn  here  that  w^e  must  submit  to  the  things 
which  are  best  for  us.  High  ideals  and  a  disciplined 
mind,  tempered  with  religious  feeling,  cannot  but 
bespeak  brighter  things  where  such  influence  is 
brought  to  bear.  Shall  not  we,  then,  help  to  make 
a  fairer  Cuba?  Jesus  came  that  we  might  have  life 
and  w^e  might  have  it  more  abundantly.  He  said 
*As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.' 
Our  fathers  and  our  brothers  are  non-religious. 
Our  mothers  and  sisters  hold  superstitiously  to 
the  tenets  of  a  fast-decaying  influence.  We  can 
take  them  a  religion  that  has  entered  our  hearts 
and  made  our  lives  clean,  a  religion  that  makes 
us  look  on  the  bright  side  of  life,  that  makes  us 


ii8      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

less  selfish.  For  this  we  thank  God  through  Jesus 
Christ." 

Moral  Earnestness.  I  ha\e  heard  many  com- 
mencement addresses,  from  high  school  to  theo- 
logical seminary,  but  rarely  ha\e  heard  one  that  had 
more  in  it  than  this,  and  never  one  spoken  with 
greater  moral  earnestness.  There  is  a  zeal  about 
these  converts  that  is  contagious.  The  gospel  is 
so  new  to  them,  and  takes  such  hold  upon  them, 
that  it  is  no  wonder  their  testimony  is  effective.  In 
all  the  missions  the  young  people  are  organized  and 
are  developing  in  service,  and  it  is  the  custom  to 
give  them  the  morning  hour  on  Sunday,  after  the 
Sunday-school,  for  their  service,  the  regular  church 
services  being  held  in  the  evening.  That  we  have 
much  to  gain  from  the  extension  of  the  educational 
work  will  not  be  doubted  by  any  who  visit  the  dif- 
ferent Christian  schools  already  established,  and  see 
what  the}^  are  accomplishing. 

A  Body  of  Trained  Teachers.  Then,  as  another 
result,  a  large  body  of  trained  teachers  will  pro\e 
an  invaluable  asset  in  tlie  Christian  campaign. 
Many  of  the  more  intelligent  and  cultivated  people 
patronize  private  schools,  both  for  social  reasons, 
and  because  of  more  efficient  teaching.  The  gov- 
ernment system  of  education  is  unfortunately 
greatly  hampered  because  of  lack  of  trained  teach- 
ers. In  this  respect  Cuba  resembles  China.  She 
looks  to  the  Christian  mission  school  for  her  best- 
trained  teachers.  To  meet  Cuba's  need  for  skilled 
teachers  is  one  of  the  greatest  opportunities  before 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       119 

the  missions.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  other  need  is  so 
great  as  for  the  immediate  estabHshment  of  well- 
equipped  normal  schools.  To  meet  this  need  would 
help  in  a  wonderful  degree  to  prepare  the  entire 
population  for  Christian  teaching. 

Provision  of  Christian  Literature.  Another  great 
need  is  for  an  increase  of  the  volume  and  scope  of 
Christian  literature  suited  to  the  mental  and  spiritual 
capacity  of  the  people.  This  should  include  a  good 
periodical  literature,  books  and  pamphlets  to  en- 
courage the  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible,  a  good 
choice  of  theological  and  exegetical  works  for  the 
preachers  and  pastors,  devotional  books  for  the  com- 
mon people,  graded  Sunday-school  material,  and 
particularly  a  line  of  booklets  and  larger  works  deal- 
ing with  the  progress  and  achievements  of  the  Prot- 
estant faith  in  Christian  lands,  as  well  as  in  other 
mission  fields.  Here  again  it  would  seem  that  co- 
operation between  the  missions  is  indispensable  to 
move  quickly  and  effectively  in  providing  the  com- 
mon people  with  the  means  of  self -culture  and 
spiritual  growth.  Now  that  the  Sunday-school  lit- 
erature is  to  be  furnished  by  the  interdenomina- 
tional Sunday  School  Association,  it  should  be  easy 
to  do  the  further  work  of  publishing  largely  in  the 
same  way. 

6.     Winning  by  L^nselfish  Service 

Misrepresentation  of  Protestantism.  The  reports 
made  by  some  who  liave  become  active  church 
workers  indicate  that  misrepresentation  of  Protes- 


120      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

tantism  is  a  common  method  employed  by  priests. 
The  impression  is  conveyed  Ijy  this  means  that  in 
the  United  States  Protestant  Churclies  and  mem- 
bers are  so  outnumbered  and  their  influence  so  sub- 
ordinate to  the  strength  and  influence  of  the  Roman 
Cathohc  Church  that  no  one  in  Cuba  should  be  mis- 
led by  what  the  missionaries  say  and  do.  For  these 
missionaries,  they  say,  are  only  the  most  inferior 
of  all  the  ministers  and  workers,  and  are  not 
worthy  to  become  relii^ious  teachers  in  Cuba. 

Winning  Power  of  Service.  But  by  their  fruits 
the  missionaries  and  their  gospel  are  known.  An 
increasing  number  of  intelligent  Cubans,  and  mul- 
titudes of  the  country  people  have  come  to  recog- 
nize that  intolerance  and  misrepresentation  cannot 
prevent  Protestant  doctrine,  example,  and  institu- 
tions from  being  trusted  and  cherished  by  those 
who  are  sincere  in  their  search  for  a  Savior  who 
saves.  The  impact  of  Protestantism  is  therefore 
causing  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  imprpve  its 
methods  and  teachings.  The  attitude  of  the  mis- 
sionaries and  Christian  Cuban  leaders  is  one  of  un- 
varying devotion  to  the  interests  of  Cuba,  as  a  na- 
tion, and  to  the  Cuban  people  in  their  upward 
course  in  matters  of  religion,  education,  industries, 
commerce,  and  home  life.  Patience,  self-sacrifice, 
and  genuine  sympathy  and  love  characterize  their 
daily  dealings  with  the  people.  These  constitute 
their  reply  to  misrepresentation  and  opposition,  and 
they  are  winning  the  battle.  There  are  many  evi- 
dences that  this  is  true.     The  best  schools  of  many 


FIRST    CONVERTS     AT    PINAR    DEL    RIO,    CUBA 

FIRST   NATIONAL    CONVENTION   OF    YOUNG   PEOPLE's    SOCIETIES    AND 

SUNDAY    SCHOOLS,    I906,    MATANZAS,   CUBA 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       121 

cities  are  under  Protestant  auspices  because  they 
have  the  best  methods  and  teachers,  and  therefore 
the  best  results.  A  small  Protestant  chapel  will 
often  have  a  larger  audience  than  an  enormous 
cathedral,  while  the  attendance  of  men  and  boys  at 
Protestant  churches  amazes  the  observer  by  com- 
parison with  the  small  number  of  men  at  the  Cath- 
olic services.  In  one  city  by  count  the  Sunday 
attendance  at  four  Protestant  chapels  equaled  that 
of  twelve  Catholic  cathedrals  and  churches. 

7.     With  the  W^orkers 

Manifest  Christianity,  A  tour  of  the  missions 
in  Cuba  is  something-  that  you  will  never  forget. 
The  experiences  are  such  as  could  not  come  to  an 
ordinary  tourist.  As  a  Christian  visitor  from 
America,  inspired  by  the  same  interest  that  led  the 
American  missionaries  to  the  island,  you  are  wel- 
comed by  the  Cuban  converts  with  whole-souled 
hospitality.  The  best  they  have  is  yours.  The  joy 
they  feel  is  written  in  their  faces.  And  in  those 
same  faces  is  reflected  the  light  of  the  new-found 
faith.  It  is  not  imagination  that  the  expression  of 
the  Christian  Cubans  is  dififerent  from  that  of  other 
Cubans.  For  one  thing,  the  mind  has  been  awak- 
ened as  well  as  the  spiritual  nature  quickened.  The 
eye  has  a  brightness  quite  uncommon.  Then,  there 
is  such  eagerness  to  hear  the  preaching,  such  naive 
curiosity  tempered  by  the  native  courtesy,  such  a 
hovering  about  you  with  sincere  interest,  that  you 
are  strongly  attracted  to  th.ese  people. 


122      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Reaching  the  Men.  One  thing  that  impressed 
me  was  the  number  of  men  I  saw  in  the  Httle 
chapels,  as  compared  with  the  almost  complete  ab- 
sence of  them  in  the  Catholic  cathedral  and 
churches.  Looking  in  on  a  Sunday  morning  at  the 
great  cathedral  in  Santiago  at  mass,  there  was  a 
little  group  of  people,  scarcely  forty,  all  women 
and  children.  At  a  Christian  Endeavor  service  a 
little  later  there  were  present  more  than  a  hundred 
and  twenty-five  persons,  half  of  them  young  peo- 
ple, including  a  dozen  young  men,  and  among  the 
elders  nearly  one  half  were  men.  There  was  a  de- 
lightful promptness  in  the  taking  part  in  prayer  and 
testimony,  too,  and  the  whole  scene  was  in  strik- 
ing contrast  to  the  ceremonial  and  show  in  the  vast 
but  well-nigh  empty  edifice  on  the  plaza.  At  the 
evening  preaching  service  in  the  chapel  there  was  a 
much  greater  audience,  and  a  large  proportion  of 
men.  At  the  close  there  was  such  a  reception  as 
warmed  the  heart.  The  Spanish  greetings  and  the 
gratitude  expressed  to  those  who  had  sent  tlie,  mis- 
sionaries with  the  open  Bible  and  simple  gospel  to 
Cuba,  to  lead  the  way  into  a  new  life,  were  affect- 
ing in  their  genuineness. 

Influence  of  the  Missionaries.  Everywhere  it 
was  the  same.  The  manner  in  which  the  mission- 
aries were  accosted  as  they  passed  along  the  street, 
the  smiles  of  the  children  as  they  passed,  the  evi- 
dent esteem  in  which  the  Christian  workers  were 
held,  proved  that  the  influence  of  their  character 
and  unselfish  service  is  widely  felt  and  appreciated. 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       123 

One  of  the  strangest  experiences  of  the  missionaries 
is  to  marry  couples  whose  grown  children  stand  by 
as  witnesses,  this  legal  union  being  a  prerequisite  to 
acceptance  for  Church-membership.  These  people, 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  them,  are  not  bad  or 
imnioral.  Forced  into  a  social  condition  of  con- 
cubinage by  the  exorbitance  of  the  priests,  they  wel- 
come as  a  rule  the  new  order,  which  they  recognize 
as  right.  It  is  a  novel  thing  to  have  a  minister  who 
charges  no  fee,  who  teaches  the  true  mode  of  family 
life,  and  is  ready  to  marry  them,  to  bury  their  dead, 
to  serve  them  in  every  way  possible,  all  without 
money  price.  A  missionary  told  me  only  a  few 
days  ago  that  the  priest  in  his  little  city  said  to  him 
one  day,  as  they  met  on  the  street :  "You  Protest- 
ants make  a  great  mistake  in  marrying  the  people 
free;  you  might  have  made  a  good  thing  out  of  it, 
for  nearly  all  the  people  are  anxious  now  to  be 
married,  and  they  go  to  you."  How  any  one  could 
serve  for  love  was  beyond  the  poor  man's  compre- 
hension.    Not  so  had  he  been  taught. 

New  Moral  Standards.  The  Cuban  people  know 
the  difference,  and  realization  of  this  fact  is  not 
only  changing  public  sentiment  toward  the  mission- 
aries, but  changing  lives.  The  moral  standards  are 
set  up  by  the  Christian  churches,  and  the  whole 
moral  tone  is  slowly  but  surely  undergoing  eleva- 
tion. Cuba  is  getting  a  new  conscience,  a  new  con- 
sciousness, a  new  creed.  The  children  in  the  Prot- 
estant schools  are  receiving  a  training  that  reacts 
upon  the  home  life.     The  Cuban  families  are  afifec- 


124     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

tionate  and  loyal,  as  the  missionaries  testify,  and 
this  affords  opportunity  for  effective  service.  The 
home  life  has  lacked  ambition,  purpose,  intelligent 
management,  mental  stimulus.  In  a  word,  the 
religious  motive  has  been  wanting.  Without  books, 
or  even  capacity  to  read,  without  aspiration,  the 
condition  is  one  either  of  dull  routine  or  of  cease- 
less work. 

Woman's  Mission.  But  go  wnth  the  woman  mis- 
sionary into  one  of  these  homes,  where  the  light  of 
the  gospel  has  shined ;  where  the  mother  has  found 
a  new  motive  in'  life;  where  the  children  have 
learned  to  read;  where  the  efforts  to  improve  the 
conditions  are  evident — there  you  see  the  inspirit- 
ing and  beautiful  ministry  that  only  a  consecrated 
Christian  woman  worker  can  render.  Many  more 
such  workers  are  needed.  They  are  welcome,  safe, 
loved.  One  of  these  noble  women,  who  has  given 
ten  years  of  her  life  to  this  work  among  the  poor 
people,  mostly  in  the  rural  districts ;  who  has  doc- 
tored the  sick  children,  helped  the  mothers  c4ean 
their  homes  and  tidy  up  their  children  and  them- 
selves, eaten  their  simple  fare  and  slept  on  their 
rugs,  been  like  a  ministering  angel  to  them,  so  that 
some  of  them  believe  her  to  be  a  saint — this  over- 
seer of  a  great  parish  many  miles  in  extent,  over 
v/hich  she  travels  by  day  and  night,  told  me  that 
she  had  been  in  many  novel  situations,  but  never 
once  had  met  with  insult  or  annoyance.  On  the 
contrary,  she  has  been  treated  courteously  and  with 
utmost  kindness,  and  has   found  greatest  difficulty 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       125 

in  declining-,  without  wounding  sensitive  feelings, 
a  hospitality  that  was  sometimes  more  cordial  than 
attractive.  She  added  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  go  about  in  the  States  as  she  did  with  perfect 
safety  in  Cuba. 

Missionary  Zeal.  The  Cuban  converts  are  full 
of  missionary  fervor.  As  an  illustration,  an 
American  making  a  missionary  tour  says  that  on 
the  road  one  day  he  met  three  native  brethren,  and 
was  informed  that  one  of  them  was  a  school- 
teacher, another  a  workman  on  the  highway  who 
engaged  in  evangelistic  work  at  night,  the  third  a 
timekeeper  for  the  workmen,  who  vvas  reading  his 
New  Testament  between  times,  and  also  active  in 
evangelistic  work.  By  the  impelling  power  of  the 
new  life  in  such  converts  as  these,  Christ  is  being 
made  known  to  multitudes.  At  another  point  was 
found  a  Christian  shoemaker,  who  had  Scripture 
texts  and  gospel  mottoes  in  large  type  posted  up  in 
his  place  of  business ;  prominent  among  these  was 
this  one :  "S.alvacion  del  alma  no  piicdc  scr  coin- 
proilo,'' — the  salvation  of  the  soul  cannot  be 
bought.  This  man  was  suggestive  of  William 
Carey.  These  are  not  isolated  instances.  It  is 
rather  the  exception  to  find  a  convert  who  is  not 
making  his  faith  known  wherever  he  goes,  and 
seeking  some  kind  of  definite  Christian  work. 

Patient  but  Hopeful  Work.  You  discover  that 
all  the  missionaries,  whatever  the  denomination, 
have  the  same  testimony,  and  the  same  hopeful  feel- 
ing concerning  the  work.    Dense  spiritual  ignorance 


126      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

there  is,  to  be  sure.  It  requires  patient  work  often 
to  gain  an  entrance  for  the  truth.  But  there  is 
great  reward  when  conversion  really  takes  place. 
Many  of  the  native  preachers  are  developing  evan- 
gelistic gifts  and  making  steady  advancement  in 
knowledge  of  the  Bible  and  of  true  doctrine.  Nor 
are  the  converts  confined  to  the  lower  classes  of  the 
people.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  common  to  find  the 
best  people  in  the  communities  in  attendance  upon 
the  Protestant  services  and  in  the  membership  of 
the  churches.  If  the  missionary  is  intellectually  fit 
for  his  work,  he  may  expect  to  have  the  alcalde 
(mayor),  the  judge,  the  teachers,  and  the  most  in- 
telligent people,  in  his  audience.  There  is  an  open 
door  to  all  classes,  and  indifference  is  the  chief  bar- 
rier to  be  overcome.  The  very  name  of  religion  lias 
been  made  a  byvord  and  become  hated  by  many  on 
account  of  their  past  experiences.  Now  that  they 
are  free  they  severely  let  alone  a  form  of  religion 
that  would  never  let  them  alone  when  it  had  power. 
To  overcome  this  prejudice  against  religion  is^, fre- 
quently the  hardest  thing. 

A  Striking  Plea.  How  could  one  fail  to  become 
interested  in  a  mission  field  where  occur  such  in- 
stances as  the  following:  A  missionary  in  Santa 
Clara  while  preaching  observed  two  strangers  in 
the  congregation.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  service 
he  sought  an  interview  with  them,  and  they  proved 
to  be  the  mayor  and  the  principal  of  the  school  in  a 
town  of  2,500  population,  situated  about  forty  miles 
away.     They  urged  him  to  come  at  once  with  them 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       127 

and  preach  to  their  people.  He  told  them  he  could 
not,  then,  but  would  come  as  soon  as  possible. 
jNleanwhile,  he  suggested  to  them  to  take  back  with 
them  some  Bibles,  tracts,  and  other  books  with 
which  to  teach  the  people  until  he  could  come.  They 
returned  and  did  as  he  bade  them.  As_  a  result,  a 
score  or  more  people  have  been  converted.  The 
principal  of  the  school,  Bible  in  hand,  has  gone 
from  house  to  house,  not  only  in  the  town,  but 
throughout  the  beautiful  valley,  teaching  the  peo- 
ple. He  heard  of  the  conference  at  Santa  Clara,  ob- 
tained a  day's  leave  of  absence  from  school  duties, 
rose  at  midnight,  mounted  a  mule  and  rode  away 
to  make  appeal  for  help  on  behalf  of  his  people. 

The  Macedonian  Cry.  ''When  he  came  into  the 
conference,  and  I  was  informed  who  he  was  and 
what  was  his  mission,  I  gave  him  an  opportunity 
to  speak.  With  deep  emotion  he  spoke  about  as 
follows :  'When  the  public  school  was  established 
I  was  put  in  charge.  As  the  people  began  to  learn 
and  to  have  quiet  after  the  war  they  began  to  re- 
flect on  religious  things.  They  had  no  one  to  guide 
them,  however,  no  priest  or  preacher.  They  came 
to  me  as  the  teacher,  with  their  questions.  They 
asked  me  if  there  was  a  God.  What  was  the  soul? 
and  w^hat  of  the  future  life?  I  told  them  that  I 
could  not  tell  them  about  these  matters,  because  I, 
too,  was  ignorant.  But  they  said  I  was  the  teacher 
and  ought  to  know.  I  replied  that  I  could  not 
know,  having  never  been  taught.  I  told  them  I 
hoped  that  if  there  was  a  God  he  would  send  us 


128      ADVAXXE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

some  light,  and  that  we  must  wait  for  the  hght.  A 
short  time  afterward  the  mayor  and  I  were  walking 
together  in  Santa  Clara,  whither  we  had  come  on 
business.  We  heard  the  singing  in  this  chapel  and 
entered.  Then  Brother  Sewell  preached,  and  when 
I  heard  him  I  said:  "God  has  sent  the  light  we 
have  been  longing  for."  Brother  Sewell  gave  us 
the  books,  and  we  went  back  and  did  the  best  we 
could.  Then  he  came  and  preached  to  us.  Now  a 
number  have  been  converted,  and  many  others  are 
deeply  interested.  Give  us  more  of  the  light!  Give 
us  a  preacher!     Give  us  a  churcli !' 

"Nothing  I  have  ever  heard,''  says  the  narrator, 
"has  moved  me  more.  The  man  proposes  to  pay 
$io  a  month  out  of  a  salary  of  $60  a  month,  though 
he  is  a  man  with  a  family  to  support.  He  assures 
a  lot  and  some  money  from  the  people.  What  could 
I  do  but  promise  what  he  asked?  Such  an  appeal 
must  not  be  denied.'" 

Destitution  to  be  Supplied.  This  spirit  of  ear- 
nest inquiry,  of  desire  for  something  better,  of  gen- 
erosity, is  characteristic.  Through  all  the  provinces 
are  to  be  found  similar  appeals,  similar  efforts  to 
secure  help.  The  Macedonian  cry  is  a  familiar 
sound  to  the  missionaries  in  Cuba.  Here  is  one 
further  illustration  that  must  quicken  our  interest. 
It  is  given  mc  by  an  American  woman"  whose  work 
is  in  Santiago  province,   and   tells  of  a  man   who 

1.  Bishop  W.  A.  Candler.  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
South. 

2.  Miss  Anna   M.   Barkley. 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       129 

came  to  her  with  this  story :  ''Last  week  I  was  in 

,  in  the  raih-oad  station  waiting  for  a  train.     I 

sat  near  some  people  wlio  were  talking  about  the 
'new  religion.'  I  went  over  and  sat  by  them  and 
talked  awhile,  and  I  asked  them  if  they  would  give 
me  one  of  the  Bibles  they  said  had  helped  them  so 
much.  They  told  me  they  had  no  Bible  to  give  me, 
but  when  I  came  over  to  this  town,  if  I  would  look 
up  the  teacher  here,  I  would  be  given  a  Bible.  I 
went  up  home  to  my  \illage  and  told  the  men  of 
my  village  about  the  'new  religion,'  and  they  told 
me  to  be  sure  to  bring  the  Bible  to  their  town  and 
to  get  somebody  to  come  and  preach  to  them.  The 
man  w^as  mayor  of  a  large  town  in  the  mountains 
about  thirty  miles  from  Santiago.  He  said,  'I  came 
down  here  for  a  case  in  court.  My  work  is  over 
and  I  am  going  home.  Tell  me  something  about 
this  religion.'  I  talked  with  him  a  long  time  and 
gave  him  some  papers  and  a  Bible.  Then  he  said : 
'When  can  a  man  come  to  our  town  to  preach?' 
I  had  to  reply,  'There  is  no  man  who  can  come  now 
to  your  town  to  preach.'  He  was  very  sad  about 
it,  and  as  he  stood  out  in  the  street  arranging  the 
Bible  and  papers  in  the  saddle-bags  on  his  mule  he 
turned  about  suddenly,  put  out  his  hand  with  a 
pleading  gesture,  and  said :  'Now  don't  forget  to 
tell  your  people  that  just  as  quick  as  they  can  they 
must  send  a  man  into  my  village  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel, if  it  is  only  once.'  That  was  eight  years  ago, 
and  to  this  day  no  man  has  ever  gone  into  that  vil- 
lage with  the  Bible.     It  is  only  one  case  among  hun- 


130     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

dreds.    How  long  shall  they  wait  to  hear  the  gospel, 
if  only  once?" 

8.     The  Outlook 

A  Nation  in  Transformation.  In  the  missionary 
work  represented  by  Protestant  missions  is  the  best 
hope  for  the  future  of  Cuba.  There  must  be  a  deal 
of  uplifting,  of  change,  of  improvement.  The 
moral  standards  must  be  raised,  and  new  ideals 
must  be  introduced.  The  Cuban  people  have  gen- 
erations of  bad  training  and  no  training  to  outgrow, 
new  habits  to  form,  new  customs  to  adopt,  before 
they  can  reach  the  condition  of  civilization  which 
they  ought  to  have.  The  best  promise  for  the  fu- 
ture lies  in  the  fact  that  so  many  of  them  welcome 
the  missionary  efforts  and  comprehend  at  least  in 
part  what  these  undertakings  mean.  The  forces  of 
Catholicism,  of  indift'erentism,  of  spiritism,  of 
frivolity  and  vice  and  greed  have  to  be  overcome, 
transformed,  or  exorcised.  The  task  is  not  that  of 
a  day  or  a  generation,  and  progress  must  Be  slow. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  a  remarkable  beginning  has 
been  made.  The  children  are  the  field  of  hope  and 
quick  promise.  In  our  missions  we  have  touched 
the  life  of  the  people  at  many  points,  and  intro- 
duced a  new  manner  of  life  that  is  at  work  like 
leaven.  The  value  of  these  centers  of  new  life  is 
inestimable.  Each  year  marks  steady  growth  and 
more  solid  establishment  of  the  work.  Evangeliza- 
tion and  education  go  hand  in  hand. 

In  view  of  the  rapidly  growing  membership  of 


COCKPIT   THAT   EECAMK   THIS    ClILRCH    SITE 
BAPTIST   CHURCH,   GUANTANAMO,    CUBA 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       131 

the  mission  churches,  the  developing  spirit  of  tol- 
erance accorded  missionaries  and  their  work,  the 
profound  impression  already  made  on  the  people 
by  the  superior  character  of  the  religious  institu- 
tions permanently  established  among  them,  and  the 
influence  of  the  many  Cubans  who  have  received  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  benefits,  the  outlook  for 
pure  Christianity  is  bright.  The  expansion  of 
Christian  educational  work  by  the  multiplication  of 
boarding-schools,  and  the  organization  of  the  insti- 
tutions of  higher  learning  so  imperatively  de- 
manded, will  result  in  the  training  of  an  increas- 
ingly capable  Cuban  leadership  for  the  churches. 
Thirty  years  of  such  training  should  work  mighty 
transformations  in  the  religious  life  of  the  whole 
population.  The  errors  and  limitations  of  Roman 
Catholicism  will  be  reduced  as  a  result  of  the 
wholesome  and  forceful  stimulus  of  Protestant 
methods  and  teaching.  The  multiplication  of 
schools  under  government  and  independent  auspices 
will  lessen  the  percentage  of  illiteracy  and  thus  make 
the  propagation  of  error  less  possible.  The  objec- 
tive to  establish  and  develop  a  self-supporting,  self- 
directing  and  self -extending  Cuban  Church  at  the 
earliest  possible  day  is  an  ideal,  a  high  and  com- 
prehensive conception  of  missions  which,  if  fol- 
lov,-ed  by  all  the  Christian  agencies  at  work  in  the 
island,  cannot  fail  in  a  half  century  to  uplift  the 
people  in  their  physical,  industrial,  social,  mental, 
moral,  and  spiritual  life.  For  this  great  end  all 
should  unitedly  pray  and  work. 


ANTILLES 

Debt  of  North  American  Churches.  The  churches 
of  North  America  owe  Cuba  as  great  a  debt  in  mat- 
ters of  rehgion  as  the  United  States  government 
owed  when  it  broke  the  shackles  of  Spanish  po- 
Htical  tyranny  and  misrule.  Those  who  study  this 
book  may  aid  substantially  in  the  service  of  love 
for  the  Cubans  by  praying  for  the  prosperity  of  the 
infant  Protestant  Churches,  ])y  aiding  in  financial 
support  of  the  missions,  and  by  enlisting  as  many 
volunteers  as  may  be  needed  for  service  in  the 
island. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  IV 

Aim  :     To  Realize  the  Need  .^^-D  Opportunity  for  Chfis- 
TiAN  Missions  in  Cuba 

I.'    Enumerate  the  principal  results  of  the  Roman  Church 

in  Cuba. 
2.     Was  the  Roman  Church  prohibited  in  any  way  from 

carrying  out  its  purpose  in  Cuba? 
3.*  What  evidence  have  you  that  the  Roman  Church  has 

failed  to  meet  the  social,   intellectual,   and  religiouT 

needs  of  the  people? 

4.  May  we  reasonably  expect  Protestant  Christianity  to 
improve  the  moral  tone  of  a  people. 

5.  Do  you  believe  that  there  was  a  real  need  for  Prot- 
estant missions  in  Cuba  when  the  Protestants  en- 
tered?    Give  reasons. 

6.  What  are  the  special  advantages  of  cooperation 
among  the  various  denominations? 

7.  Do  you  believe  we  send  missionaries  to  make  people 
Christians  or  members  of  some  denomination? 

8.  Sum  up  the  principal  obstalces  to  Protestant  mis- 
sionary  effort   in    Cuba. 


CUBA    AS    A    MISSION    FIELD       133 

9.  In  what  respect  can  mission  schools  do  a  work  that 
the  ordinary  secular  schools  cannot  do? 

10.  What  conclusion  would  you  reach  regarding  the 
value  of  mission  schools  after  reading  the  addresses 
of  the  two  young  Cubans? 

11.  Why  do  we  maintain  denominational  colleges  in  the 
United  States? 

12.  Can  you  give  any  reasons  why  you  would  consider 
schools  of  this  type  more  important  in  Cuba? 

13.  Why  should  the  Church  emphasize  the  importance  of 
trained  leadership? 

14.  Why  should  missionaries  be  so  anxious  to  provide 
Christian  literature   in   Cuba? 

15.  What  have  been  the  principal  results  thus  far  of 
Protestant  missions  in   Cuba? 

16.  How  many  Protestant  Christians  are  there?  (See 
statistics,   Appendix   F.) 

17.  Do  you  believe  that  the  rate  of  increase  will  be 
more  rapid  in  the  next  ten  years?     Why? 

18.  Upon  whom  does  the  responsibility  rest  to  respond  to 
the  requests  that  come  from  the  people  for  mis- 
sionaries? 

19.  Is  our  responsibility  increased  because  of  the  rela- 
tion of  our  government  to  Cuba  ? 

20.  Will  the  task  ever  be  easier  to  win  Cuba  for  Christ 
than  now  ? 

21.  Sum  up  what  you  consider  the  present  opportunity 
for  Protestant  missions  in  Cuba. 


REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 
CHAPTER  IV 

Problems. 

Parker,  "How  the  Problem  Might  Be  Solved,"  American 

Review  of  Reviews,  January,  1908. 
Porter.  Industrial  Cuba,  II. 


134     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

"Problems    of    Cuba."      Lippincott's    Magazine,    January, 


Religion* 

Jones,  "Religious  Situation  in   Cuba,"   Missionary  Review 

of  the  World,   March,   1907. 
Pepper,  To-morrow  in  Cuba,  XIII,  XIV. 
Porter,  Industrial  Cuba,  XXVII. 

Outlook. 

Conant,  "Our  Duty  in  Cuba."     North  American  Review, 

May  17,  1907. 
Forbes-Lindsay,  "The  Land  of  Promise."    World  To-day, 

February,  1908. 
Hill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  XIV. 
Murphy,  "Another  Chance  for  Cuba."     Harper's  \^'eekly, 

February  i,   1908. 
Pepper,   To-morrow  in   Cuba,   XVIII. 
Porter,  Industrial  Cuba,  III,  VI,  XXIX. 
Robinson,    Cuba  and   the   Intervention,   XXI. 

*For  material  on  Roman  Catholicism  and  the  missionary 
situation,  the  Missionary  Reviczv  of  the  World  and  the  de- 
nominational missionary  magazines  should  be  consulted.  The 
mission  boards  also  publish  pamphlets  that  contain  useful  in- 
formation. 


PART  II—PORTO  RICO 


T3S 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  IN  PORTO  RICO 


13? 


The  history  of  Porto  Rico  falls  nnturally  into  eight  divisions: 

1.  Discovery,    1493. 

2.  Settlement.    1508-1509. 

3.  Subjugation,    1509-1544. 

4.  The    Dark    Centuries,    1544-1815.' 

5.  The   Colony,    1815-1870. 

6.  The  Province,  1870-1895. 

7.  The    Awalcening.    1S95-189S. 

8.  The   American   Occupation,   1898. 

Porto  Rico  and  Paradise  begin  with  the  same  letter.  The 
coincidence  does  not  en/J  vt'ith  the  initials.  With  two  or  three 
features  changed — features  in  which  the  process  of  change  has 
novr  begun — Porto  Rico  would  be  a  heaven  on  eartli.  God  and 
man  have  made  the  island  what  it  is.  So  far  as  God  made  it, 
It  Is  already  a  paradise. 

— L.    C.    Barnes 

To-day  Porto  Rico  may  aptly  be  termed  a  "land  of  prob- 
lems," because  everything  in  the  island  is  in  a  formative  or 
reformative  stage,  and  it  is  impossible  to  tell  what  the  ultimate 
results  will  be. 

— C.    H.   Foi-bes-Lindsay 

The  United  States  has  other  "gardens"  committed  to  its  care 
.  .  .  but  our  real  garden,  whose  soil  is  "rich  with  the  spoils 
of  nature,"  is  in  the  blue  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  beneath 
the  tropical  sky  to  the  north  of  the  Caribbean  Sea. 

— Joseph   B.   Seabtiry 


13B 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  IN  PORTO  RICO 

I.     The  Porto  Rico  of  Yesterday 

Discovery  by  Columbus.  A  fourteen  hundred 
and  twenty  miles. sail  slightly  southeast  from  New 
York  without  sight  of  land  brings  you,  on  the  fifth 
day,  to  Porto  Rico,^  smallest  island  of  the  Greater 
Antilles"  quartet.  On  the  northwestern  coast, 
south  of  the  present  town  of  Aguadilla,  stands  a 
granite  monument  in  the  form  of  a  cross  bearing 
this  inscription : 

1493 
19  DE  NOVIEMBRE 

1893 

which  tells  you  that  at  this  point  Christopher  Co- 
lumbus, on  his  second  voyage  from  Cadiz,  in  Spain, 
first  landed,  planted  the  cross,  as  was  his  custom, 
and  claimed  the  island,  to  which  he  gave  the  name 
of  San  Juan  Bautista  (St.  John  the  Baptist).    The 

I.  In  this  study,  we  shall  not,  as  a  rule,  use  the  Spanish 
spelling  (Puerto  Rico)  of  the  name.  The  spelling,  Porto 
Rico,  has  been  approved  by  the  Board  of  Geographic  Names 
and  adopted  by  congress. 

139 


140      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

discovery  took  place  three  clays  earlier/  the  Ad- 
miral meanwhile  exploring  the  southern  shore.  He 
remained  at  Aguadilla  (The  watering-place)  for 
two  days,  finding  there  what  was  apparently  the 
seaside  pleasure  village  of  a  native  chief,  but  at 
the  time  wholly  deserted,  much  to  the  discoverer's 
disappointment.  So  attractive  did  the  land  appear 
to  him  that  he  named  it  Puerto  Rico  (Rich  Port). 
Then  lie  sailed  on  to  San  Domingo. 

Early  Name  and  Population.  Tlie  ancient  name 
was  Boriquen,  or  Borinquen — "the  Land  of  the 
Valiant  Lord."  The  inhabitants  were  called  Bori- 
quens,  although  this  tribe  formed  only  one  portion 
of  the  West  Indian  aborigines.  Another  division 
was  the  Caribs,  the  people  of  the  Lesser  Antilles. 
The  natives  of  the  Bahamas,  Cuba,  Haiti,  and  Porto 
Rico  were  a  mild  agricultural  people,  while  the 
Caribs  were  warlike  and  ferocious.  There  is  no 
conclusive  belief  that  they  were  cannibals,  but  they 
were  generally  feared.  Thus  Porto  Rican  life  has 
known  not  only  isolation,  but  mingling  of  tribes 
with  tribes,  of  races  with  races — a  rare  mixture  of 
blood.  The  population  at  the  time  of  discovery  has 
been  estimated  as  high  as  600,000  and  as  low  as 
16,000,  with  midway  figures  put  at  30.000  and 
100,000' — the  latter  by  Commissioner  H.  K.  Car- 
roll, who  was  sent  down  to  investigate  the  island 
generally  by  our  government  as  soon  as  it  got  pos- 

1.  One  year  and  nineteen  days  after  his  discovery  of  Cuba, 
October  28,  1492. 

2.  Report  on  the  Island  of  Porto  Rico,  12. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  141 

session.  The  margin  is  certainly  generous  even  for 
guessing. 

First  Explorers.  In  the  settlement  of  Boriquen 
Columbus  had  no  part.  The  real  founder  of  Porto 
Rico  was  Ponce  de  Leon,  who  had  been  with  Co- 
lumbus in  his  second  voyage.  By  Governor 
Ovando  of  Santo  Domingo  he  had  been  given  the 
rank  of  captain.  Hearing  from  the  natives  of 
Porto  Rico  that  there  was  gold  in  their  island, 
Ovando  was  glad  to  have  Ponce  explore.  In  com- 
mand of  a  caravel,  with  Indian  guides  and  three 
hundred  men,  Ponce  sailed  in  1508,  landing  near 
Aguada.  The  local  chief,  Guaybana,  received  the 
Spaniards  with  great  hospitality.  Both  diplomacy 
and  reverent  fear  were  evident  in  the  event.  The 
explorers  were  feasted,  dances  were  held  in  their 
honor,  games  played  to  amuse  them,  and  Ponce 
and  Guaybana  exchanged  names  as  a  mark  of 
brotherly  affection.  Ponce  received  the  chief's  sis- 
ter in  marriage.  The  door  was  wide  open  to  the 
friendly  invaders,  and  to  them  were  revealed  the 
gold-laden  river  bottoms. 

Towns  Settled.  Ponce  explored  from  Aguada 
as  far  as  the  present  San  Juan.  In  1509  he  re- 
turned to  La  Espanola  with  samples  of  gold,  while 
a  party  was  left  behind.  They  in  the  same  year 
built  Caparra,  the  first  settlement  on  the  site  of  the 
present  Pueblo  Vie  jo  (Old  Town).  It  was  later 
called  Porto  Rico,  and  transferred  in  1521  to  the 
present  site  of  San  Juan.  The  Spaniards  very 
early  had  called  the  island  San  Juan  Bautista  de 


142      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Puerto  Rico.  They  had  plenty  of  leisure  to  use 
interminable  names.  It  was  between  151 1  and  1521 
that  the  capital  city  came  to  take  the  name  at  first 
given  to  the  island,  while  the  island  was  known  as 
Puerto  Rico. 

Relation  with  Natives.  The  subjugation  which 
followed  was  tragic.  Because  of  his  right  as  son 
of  the  discoverer,  Diego  Columbus  became  gover- 
nor of  the  island  in  151 1  in  place  of  Ponce.  With 
the  help  of  the  Indians,  whom  they  cruelly  treated 
and  enslaved,  the  gold  seekers  were  still  hard  at 
work.  In  151 1  more  than  a  thousand  defenseless 
and  innocent  natives  were  distributed  among  eight 
taskmasters  in  the  getting  of  gold.  This  system  of 
"repartimientos,"  or  distribution,  was  initiated  by 
Christopher  Columbus.  Against  such  slavery  even 
the  peaceful  Indians  rebelled.  A  general  uprising 
occurred  in  which  hundreds  of  Spaniards  were 
killed,  although  they  were  finally  successful.  Fur- 
ther distributions  were  made,  with  slavery  and^ 
slaughter  of  the  natives,  until  in  1544,  when  the 
king  of  Spain  ordered  their  liberation,  only  about 
sixty  were  found  to  avail  themselves  of  the  privi- 
lege. Porto  Rico  was  subjugated.  Her  life  had 
been  given  in  vicarious  sacrifice  to  Spanish  greed 
for  gold. 

The  Dark  Age.  The  remaining  decades  of  the 
sixteenth  century  saw  only  strife  and  trial  in  Porto 
Rico.  ]\Iany  of  the  negroes  imported  from  Africa 
to  do  the  work  of  the  slaughtered  Indians  escaped 
to  the  mountains,  whence  they  made  raids  upon  their 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  143 

would-be  masters.  Fierce  hurricanes  visited  the  isl- 
and in  1515,  1526,  1530,  and  1537,  destroying 
many  towns  and  leaving-  want  and  suffering.  The 
few  remaining  Spaniards  were  in  constant  quarrel 
among  themselves.  Porto  Rico,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  century  ''as  populous  as  a  beehive  and  as  lovely 
as  an  orchard,"  was  now  a  jungle.  Only  "about 
400  inhabitants,  white,  black,  and  mongrel,"  re- 
mained. 

2.     Colony  and  Province 

Two  Brighter  Centuries.  With  the  beginning  of 
the  seventeenth  century  conditions  brightened.  For 
two  hundred  years  Porto  Rico  had  a  period  of  com- 
parative independence,  or  self-dependence.  Spain 
was  too  much  exhausted  by  wars  with  England, 
Holland,  and  France  either  to  help  or  hinder  her 
possible  existence  and  growth.  In  1765  Porto  Rico 
had  29,846  inhabitants,  besides  5,037  slaves.  By 
1800  the  number  had  risen  to  138,758.  Whites  and 
blacks  mixed  indiscriminately.  Viewed  from  the 
internal  situation  Porto  Rico  was  essentially  at  the 
same  stage  of  development  at  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century  as  three  hundred  years  before — 
"a  Catholic  colony  following  a  patriarchal  life." 

A  Spanish  Colony.  Porto  Rico  did  not  become  a 
colony  of  Spain  in  any  real  sense  until  181 5.  Be- 
fore this  time  it  had  no  share  in  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment, and  Spain  had  but  slight  share  in  the  aft'airs 
of  the  island,  which  was  held  as  a  convenient  wa- 
tering station  for  Spanish  ships  and  place  of  ban- 


144      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

ishment  for  Spanish  criminals.  Tlie  Spanish  dwell- 
ers, though  loyal  to  Spain  in  an  indifferent  way,  had 
no  status  above  that  of  the  negroes  and  mongrel 
natives.  In  1815  appeared  a  decree  entitled  "Reg- 
ulations for  Promoting  the  Population,  Commerce, 
Industry,  and  Agriculture  in  Puerto  Rico."  Now 
came  the  real  turning  of  the  tide.  Previous  to  1778 
Spaniards  only  could  settle.  From  1778  to  181 5 
any  Catholic  workmen  might  be  admitted,  but  after 
181 5  the  doors  were  open  to  all.  The  decree,  says 
Van  Middeldyk,  "embraced  every  object,  and  pro- 
vided for  all  the  various  incidents  that  could  instil 
life  and  vigor  into  an  infant  colony.'" 

Later  Phases  of  the  Period.  With  this  decree 
many  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  enterprising  citi- 
zens of  Venezuela,  Colombia,  and  Santo  Domingo 
came  to  Porto  Rico  to  live  and  work.  It  is  said 
of  the  administration  of  Governor  La  Torre  (1825- 
1834),  that  during  its  last  seven  years  more  was  ac- 
complished for  the  island  and  more  money  arising 
from  its  revenues  was  expended  on  works  of  pub- 
lic utility,  than  the  total  amounts  furnished  for  the 
same  object  during  the  preceding  three  hundred 
3'ears. 

A  Province  of  Spain.  In  1870  Porto  Rico  was 
made  a  province  of  Spain,  instead  of  a  colony, 
thereby  acquiring  the  same  rights  and  government 
as  existed  in  the  mother  country,  with  representa- 
tion in  the  Cortes,   elected  by  universal   suffrage. 

I.  Histcry  of  Puerto  Rico,  I55- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  145 

Her  nominal  position,  therefore,  was  much  better 
than  that  accorded  to  Cuba,  and  absence  of  revolu- 
tions was  conducive  to  prosperity.  On  March  22, 
1873,  an  event  of  moment  took  place  when  34,000 
slaves  were  liberated.  A  vivid  statement  has  been 
made  by  Dr.  Tulio  Larrinaya,  Commissioner  of 
Porto  Rico  at  Washington : 

Voluntary  Abolition  of  Slavery.  "Porto  Rico  is 
the  only  country  in  the  world  that  abolished  slavery 
voluntarily  and  deliberately  by  the  will  of  her  own 
people.  We,  the  slaveholders,  abolished  slavery 
there.  It  was  done  in  a  night,  without  bloodshed 
and  without  friction.  When  by  chance  we  secured 
representation  in  the  Spanish  Cortes,  our  people 
united  with  the  Spanish  Republicans  and  passed  a 
law  that  accomplished  that  result.  The  cable 
flashed  back  the  news  to  our  country,  and  on  the 
following  morning  every  slave  in  Porto  Rico  rose 
from  his  bed  a  free  man.  We  not  only  did  that, 
but  we  paid  the  slaveholders  for  their  slaves.  For 
that  purpose  we  contracted  a  loan  which,  in  princi- 
pal and  interest,  amounted  to  $14,000,000.  I  be- 
lieve that  this  is  something  of  which  we  may  justly 
be  proud ;  and  it  was  an  achievement  which  has  not 
been  accomplished  under  similar  circumstances  by 
any  country  in  the  world.'" 

Coming  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  The  last 
years  of  Spanish  rule  in  Porto  Rico  witnessed  rapid 
and  surprising  changes.     The  seven  years,  1873-80, 


I.  Annals  of  the  American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social 
Science,  1905,  Vol.  XXVI,  55. 


146      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

saw  the  exact  reverse  of  the  prosperity  which 
seemed  to  dawn  in  1815.  Both  Spain  and  Porto 
Rico  were  reaping  the  fruits  of  more  than  three 
centuries  of  miserable  selfishness.  The  island  was 
paralyzed.  The  Porto  Ricans  made  no  strong  at- 
tempts at  freedom  from  Spain  until  after  Cuba  in 
1895  refused  the  laws  for  the  administrative  re- 
organization of  Spanish  control.  Porto  Rico  then 
became  a  willing  follower  in  revolt.  The  royal 
decree  of  November  25,  1897,  gave  autonomy  to 
Porto  Rico,  as  well  as  to  Cuba,  but  conditions  were 
not  much  bettered.  Though  the  island  had  a  pre- 
mier, house  of  representatives,  and  the  other  forms 
of  republican  government,  it  was  still  under  the 
Spanish  oligarchy.  The  yesterday  of  Porto  Rico 
came  to  an  end  when,  on  July  25,  1898,  the  island 
became  a  part  of  the  United  States,  and  the  Porto 
Ricans,  without  any  voice  in  the  matter,  found 
themselves  transferred  from  one  master  to  another. 
Spanish  Misrule.  The  Porto  Rico  of  yesterda^r 
has  a  heavy  bill  of  charges  to  lay  against  the  Span- 
ish government  and  the  Roman  Catholic  Church — 
for  it  was  Church  and  State  combined  in  unholy 
alliance  in  Porto  Rico,  as  in  Cuba,  with  the  heavier 
responsibility  resting  upon  the  Church.  While 
there  was  a  nominal  government  of  fair  form  on 
paper,  in  fact  the  rule  was  a  feudal  despotism  in 
which  the  people  had  no  effective  part,  precisely  as 
in  Cuba.  From  the  day  (March  2,  15 10)  that  the 
cruel  Ponce  de  Leon  became  first  governor  of  Porto 
Rico  to  October   18,    1898,   when   Manuel   Macias 


Col-yri.:;l>f,     L'lulcn.^JoJ    &     Vndcyi.ood 
VILLAGE    STREET    IN    THE    INTERIOR 
FARMING    WITH    STICK    PLOW    AND    OXEN 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  147 

left  the  governor's  chair,  the  record  of  the  117 
governors  was  far  from  creditable  even  to  Spain. 

Causes  of  Former  Evils.  Four  causes  are  mainly 
responsible  for  the  evils  of  those  old  days.  These 
are:  (i)  The  tyranny  of  the  Spanish  rulers;  (2) 
the  economic  oppression  of  the  people;  (3)  the 
degeneracy  of  the  Church;  and  (4)  the  neglect  of 
education.  Merely  to  name  these  points  is  ahnost 
sufficient.  It  is  true  that  the  Porto  Ricans  suffered 
less  in  many  ways  than  the  neighboring  Cubans, 
but  that  was  because  there  was  less  chance  for  cor- 
ruption and  less  room  for  large  schemes  of  spolia- 
tion. 

Economic  Possibilities.  The  economic  possibili- 
ties of  Porto  Rico  were  stupendous.  The  island 
had  no  provincial  debt.  The  Spanish  rulers  were 
exploiting  for  their  own  gain  the  island's  resources 
and  laborers.  All  remunerative  positions  were 
filled  by  them,  but  they  did  little  to  develop  the 
island.  The  census  of  1899  showed  that  of  about 
half  a  million  persons  of  working  age,  183,635  were 
without  employment.  Out  of  a  total  area  of  2,347,- 
520  acres,  only  464,361  acres,  or  20  per  cent,  were 
under  cultivation.  Mr.  Fowdes  describes  the  menial 
service  of  the  natives: 

Poverty  among  Laborers.  "This  class  of  labor 
brought  from  thirty  to  fifty  cents  a  day,  Mexican 
money.  Even  then  the  laborer  did  not  have  regular 
work,  and  on  some  plantations  he  received  his  mea- 
ger pay  in  tickets  on  the  owaier's  store,  where  prices 
were  often  exorbitant.     These  facts  explain  why 


148      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

out  of  a  population  of  a  million  people  more  than 
three  fourths  lived  in  poverty.  Without  means  to 
buy  nourishing  food,  they  subsisted  on  such  fruits 
and  vegetables  as  they  could  secure,  and,  as  they 
were  able,  they  added  rice  and  salt  codfish  to  their 
frugal  fare.  The  pangs  of  hunger  were  often  re- 
lieved by  the  use  of  rum  or  tobacco,  and  the  result 
of  such  a  mode  of  life  is  now  discernible  in  the 
weak  and  anemic  condition  of  great  numbers  of  the 
poor."^ 

3.  The  Porto  Rico  of  To-day 
Success  of  American  Troops.  The  year  1898 
was  of  great  moment  to  Porto  Rico.  When  war 
with  Spain  began,  her  colonies  were  exposed  to  our 
attack.  All  happened  mercifully  for  the  little  island. 
General  Miles  embarked  with  3,554  officers  and 
men  for  Porto  Rico.  Landing  on  July  26  at  Gua- 
nica,  instead  of  at  San  Juan,  as  was  expected,  the 
nineteen  days  of  the  campaign  brought  a  series  ot_ 
embarrassing  surprises  to  the  Spanish  troops. 
When  reenforced  the  American  soldiers  numbered 
9,641  against  18,000  Spanish.  There  were  only 
four  real  fights  in  the  campaign,  with  a  Spanish 
loss  of  450  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  an  Amer- 
ican loss  of  43.  Then  came  the  protocol  of  peace, 
August  12,  and  orders  to  cease  hostilities.  Porto 
Rico  was  ours,  and  the  American  soldiers  were 
hailed  as  the  bringers  of  freedom,  while  the  stars 
and  stripes  were  regarded  as  the  assurance  of  per- 

I.  Doum  in  Porto  Rico,  126,  127. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  149 

sonal  liberty  and  fortune.  "Fiz'a  los  Americanos!" 
was  the  constant  cry. 

A  Historic  Scene.  A  graphic  description  of  the 
change  from  the  old  regime  to  the  new,  given  by  an 
eye-witness,  is  here  condensed.  In  front  of  the 
Governor's  Palace  there  stood,  a  little  before  twelve 
o'clock  at  noon,  on  October  18,  some  two-score  offi- 
cers of  the  American  army  and  navy,  all  in  so 
much  of  dress  uniform  as  their  campaign  outfit  per- 
mitted. With  them  were  six  or  eight  civilians, 
some  in  dress  and  some  in  frock  coats.  These  were 
foreign  consuls  and  members  of  the  insular  gov- 
ernment of  the  island  of  Porto  Rico.  Immediately 
in  front  of  this  group,  facing  the  arched  portal, 
stood  the  regimental  band  and  two  battalions  of 
the  Eleventh  United  States  Infantry.  Their  uni- 
forms consisted  of  campaign  hats,  blue  flannel 
shirts,  khaki  trousers,  and  brown  leggings.  They 
presented  no  brilliant  spectacle,  those  tall,  sun- 
burned soldier  men,  but  the  Spaniards  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  island  ran  away  from  them  a  few 
weeks  before.  Behind  the  infantry.  Troop  H  of  the 
Sixth  United  States  Cavalry  sat  on  their  big  bay 
horses,  with  drawn  sabers.  On  the  balcony  of  the 
palace  stood  a  little  group.  Outside  the  military 
lines  and  up  the  adjacent  streets,  on  roofs  and  bal- 
conies, and  at  the  windows  of  the  palace  and  other 
buildings  of  the  vicinity,  were  soldiers  and  civilians, 
ladies  and  children. 

A  Turn  in  History.  Just  before  the  stroke  of 
noon  all  movement  ceases,  all  voices  are  still.     The 


I50     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

heads  of  officials  and  spectators  are  bared.  There 
is  an  instant  of  impressive  silence.  To  all  save 
the  shallow  and  the  thoughtless  the  moment  is  one 
of  deep  solemnity.  Many  eyes  are  wet,  and  many 
a  lip  quivers  with  intensity  of  feeling.  Into  the 
grave  of  the  past  there  fall  four  centuries  of  his- 
tory of  Spanish  power  in  sea-girt  Porto  Rico.  It 
is  the  end  of  a  long  life,  misspent  if  you  will,  but 
venerable  in  its  antiquity  if  in  nothing  else.  Then 
upon  the  hushed  air  there  sounds  the  musical  note 
of  a  distant  bell  slowly  striking  the  hour.  Upon 
its  third  stroke  a  second  bell  chimes  in,  and  then  a 
third.  While  they  are  still  sounding,  there  comes 
the  roar  of  the  signal  gun,  fired  from  the  walls  of 
the  old  Morro.  Before  the  sound  of  the  gun  has 
died  away,  the  band  strikes  up  the  sweet  strains 
of  our  national  anthem,  as  the  stars  and  stripes 
are  slowly  hauled  to  the  top  of  the  flagpole  on  the 
palace  by  Major  Dean  and  Lieutenant  Castle,  of 
General  Brooke's  personal  staff.  With  the  dying- 
notes  of  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  the  specta- 
tors give  three  hearty  cheers,  the  inevitable  enthusi- 
ast howls  "tiger-r-r-r,"  and  the  ceremony  is  over.* 
October  18,  1898,  was  the  birthday  of  Porto  Rican 
freedom,  although  technically  the  island  belonged 
to  Spain  until  the  exchange  of  ratifications  on  April 
II,  1899. 
Military  Government.     "The  Department  of  Por- 

I.  A.  G.  Robinson,  The  Porto  Rico  of  To-day. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  151 

to  Rico"  was  the  name  given  to  the  special  military 
government  which  lasted  in  the  island  from  the 
withdrawal  of  the  Spanish  troops  until  May  i, 
1900.  Major-general  John  R.  Brooke  was  gover- 
nor until  December  9,  1898,  when  his  place  was 
filled  by  Major-general  Guy  V.  Henry,  who,  on 
May  9,  1899,  gave  place  to  Brigadier-general 
George  W.  Davis.  A  more  ideal  transition  from 
four  hundred  years  of  constraint  to  republican  de- 
mocracy would  be  difficult  to  find.  Porto  Rico,  with 
false  and  inadequate  ideas  of  American  institutions, 
and  with  sanitary  conditions  requiring  radical  im- 
provement, seemed  to  need  just  what  the  military 
rule  provided.  The  army  itself  as  a  police  force, 
its  medical  corps  for  sanitary  service,  its  engineer 
corps  for  the  construction  of  highways  and  bridges, 
and  its  paymaster's  department  as  a  public  treasury, 
gave  to  Porto  Rico,  ready-made,  a  well-adapted 
governmental  supervision.  During  this  period  help- 
ful changes  were  made  in  the  judicial  organiza- 
tion of  the  island,  in  the  criminal  code,  and  in  the 
system  of  taxation.  The  military  government 
proved  itself  to  be  almost  indispensable,  though  it 
was  sorely  tested  by  the  conditions  brought  about 
by  the  hurricane  of  August  8,  1899.  The  military 
officers  had  to  take  charge  in  this  case  of  the  local 
town  governments.  Though  this  form  of  rule  was 
the  only  available  means  of  bridging  the  gulf  which 
was  inevitable  in  the  attempt  to  unite  sixteenth  and 
twentieth-century  life,  it  was  not  American  in  prin- 


152      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

ciple,  and  it  was  not  in  keeping  with  the  rising 
spirit  of  democracy.  Hence  it  could  be  only  a 
transition. 

The  Civil  Government.  The  civil  government 
of  Porto  Rico  was  provided  by  the  Foraker  law, 
which  passed  the  United  States  Senate  April  12, 
1900.  Under  the  provisions  of  this  act  this  gov- 
ernment consists  of  a  governor,  a  secretary,  an  at- 
torney-general, a  treasurer,  an  auditor,  a  commis- 
sioner of  the  interior,  and  a  commissioner  of  educa- 
tion, each  appointed  by  the  President  and  to  hold 
office  for  four  years.  With  the  exception  of  the 
governor  these  six  officers,  together  with  five  na- 
tive Porto  Ricans,  who  also  are  appointed  by  the 
President,  constitute  the  Executive  Council,  which, 
besides  acting  as  an  advisory  council  to  the  gover- 
nor, forms  the  higher  branch  of  the  Legislative 
Assembly.  The  lower  house  of  the  assembly  is 
called  the  House  of  Delegates.  It  consists  of  thirty- 
five  members  elected  biennially.  Porto  Rico  is  di- 
vided into  seven  districts  for  the  purposes  of  this 
election.  A  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  legislative 
assembly  overrules  a  veto  by  the  governor.  The  ju- 
dicial department  of  the  government  is  equally  sim- 
ple. The  judicial  power  is  vested  in  a  supreme 
court;  in  five  district  courts,  one  for  each  judicial 
district;  in  municipal  courts;  and  in  the  justices  of 
the  peace. 

4.     Problems  and  Progress 

Four  Phases.  There  certainly  are  problems  in 
Porto  Rico,  and  there  is  progress  as  well,  and  one 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  153 

because  of  the  other.  Consider  four  phases  of  the 
problems  and  progress  of  the  Gem  of  the  Antilles : 
(i)  Health  and  sanitation;  (2)  education;  (3)  eco- 
nomical welfare;  and  (4)  government. 

Health  and  Sanitation.  Among  the  prevailing 
diseases  of  the  island  are  consumption  and  malarial 
fevers,  pneumonia,  congestion  of  the  lungs,  bron- 
chitis— thirty-one  per  cent,  from  this  general  class 
of  causes  affecting  the  lungs.  Then  the  widespread 
immorality  and  the  use  of  tobacco  and  rum  by  the 
young  of  both  sexes  have  led  to  serious  physical 
results.  But  the  disease  far  outranking  all  others  is 
tropical  anemia,  commonly  known  in  the  South  as 
"hookworm,"  and  now  receiving  expert  study  and 
treatment  in  our  own  country.  After  thorough 
investigation  it  was  reported  in  1904  that  more 
than  800,000  of  the  1,000,000  inhabitants  of  the 
island  were  sufferers  from  this  disease,  which 
saps  the  energies  and  shortens  the  life  of  its  vic- 
tim. Ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  population  out- 
side of  the  cities  and  larger  towns  was  said  to  be 
infected,  and  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  adult  laboring 
population.  Think  what  it  means  that  the  cause  of 
the  disease  was  discovered  by  Dr.  B,  K.  Ashford, 
an  army  surgeon,  and  that  250,000  cases  have  been 
successfully  treated  P  The  eradication  of  this  dis- 
ease means  the  physical  renewal  of  the  Porto  Rican 
people  and  the  development  of  a  sturdy  population. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  tropical  anemia  will  be  as 


I.  "Porto  Rico  Under  the  American   Flag,"   Outlook,  June 
26,  1909. 


154      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

completely  stamped  out  in  Porto  Rico  as  yellow 
fever  has  been  in  Cuba.  Smallpox  used  to  scourge 
the  island,  but  every  inhabitant  was  vaccinated  in 
General  Henry's  time,  and  that  dread  epidemic  has 
disappeared.  The  science  of  sanitation,  unknown 
to  the  Porto  Rico  of  yesterday,  has  been  intro- 
duced, with  the  result  that  it  was  stated  in  1906 
that  the  death-rate  was  lowered  within  two  years 
by  half."  Dr.  H.  M.  Hernandez,  president  of  the 
board  of  health,  reported  that  there  were  13,821 
fewer  deaths  in  190 1-2  than  during  the  previous 
year.'  Porto  Rico  has  already  become  not  only 
one  of  the  most  healthy  of  the  tropical  islands,  but 
is  an  ideal  winter  resort  for  well-to-do  Americans. 
Education.  Education  has  been  and  still  is  the 
greatest  need  of  Porto  Rico.  Schools  were  prac- 
tically unknown  until  the  nineteenth  century,  and  il- 
literacy was  the  common  lot,  allhough  the  better 
classes  of  Porto  Ricans  were  ambitious  for  edu- 
cation. Efforts  were  made  to  maintain  schools,  but 
the  grade  was  pitifully  low,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  wdien  the  Americans  took  possession  there  was 
not  a  properly  equipped  and  well-manned  school  on 
the  island,  and  there  was  only  one  schoolhouse. 
This  in  face  of  the  statistics  that  on  December  31, 
1897,  22,265  pupils  were  enrolled  in  the  Spanish 
schools.  The  new  regime  immediately  began  the 
establishment  and  improvement  of  the  schools.  In 
the  American  schools  of  June  30,  1902,  42,070  pu- 

1.  World's  Work,  January,   1906. 

2.  Outlook,  July  II,  1903. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  155 

pils  were  enrolled ;  and  during-  the  next  school  year 
there  were  70.216  different  pupils  enrolled,  or  about 
one  fifth  of  the  total  population  of  school  age.  At 
pre&ent  there  are  1,130  American  schools  in  Porto 
Rico,  all  of  them  well  filled.  The  University  of 
Porto  Rico,  at  San  Juan,  with  its  normal  and  agri- 
cultural departments,  was  opened  in  1903.  The 
first  class  was  graduated  from  high  school  in  1904. 
*Tt  is  probably  safe  to  say  that  to-day  100,000  chil- 
dren in  Porto  Rico  are  receiving  school  instruction, 
as  against  25,000  six  years  ago,"  wrote  Bishop 
Van  Buren  in  1905.  "But,  gratifying  as  this  is,  it 
is  not  a  point  at  which  we  may  rest  satisfied,  for 
the  reason  that  there  are  350,000  children  of  school 
age  without  educational  facilities."^  To-day  every 
town  has  its  graded  school  with  buildings  equal  to 
many  of  tlie  same  class  in  the  States,  and  the  rural 
schools  are  rapidly  increasing.  Where  the  Spanish 
government  for  a  decade  or  two  spent  $35,000  a 
year  on  the  schools,  the  appropriation  now  is  con- 
siderably above  $1,000,000,  and  schoolhouses  dot 
the  island.  In  this  fact  lies  the  hope  for  the  fu- 
ture. The  Porto  Ricans  have  cause  to  be  grate- 
ful to  the  United  States  for  ample  educational  fa- 
cilities, so  far  as  these  can  be  provided  by  the 
state. 

Economic  Welfare.  How  has  the  United  States 
promoted  the  economic  welfare  of  Porto  Rico? 
This  is  to  ask.  How  has  the  agricultural  industry 

I.  J.  H.  Van  Buren,  "Present-Day  Porto  Rico,"  Outlook, 
Januarj'  14,  1905. 


156      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

been  enhanced  by  the  American  occupation?  Porto 
Rico  is  an  agricultural  territory.  In  1905,  177,754 
acres  of  the  island  were  given  to  coffee  growing, 
112,416  to  sugar-cane,  18,414  to  tobacco,  and  74,- 
003  acres  to  timber.  Before  the  blocking  of  the 
trade  with  Spain,  coffee  was  the  principal  product, 
but  now  sugar  is  taking  the  lead.  The  agricultural 
marlvct  is  the  mainspring  of  this  industry.  The  ex- 
cises and  customs  which  affect  the  market  have  been 
the  checks  upon  the  mainspring.  Thus  we  see  that 
the  destiny  of  the  island  depends  directly  u^x^n  our 
government. 

Some  Benefits.  How,  then,  has  our  country  pro- 
moted the  welfare  of  Porto  Rico?  In  the  first 
place,  the  Foraker  Act  gives  the  island  the  right 
to  make  its  own  budgets  and  the  appropriations 
with  which  to  meet  the  same.  "We  have  turned 
into  their  hands  about  three  millions  of  dollars  in 
cash,  the  amount  of  duties  that  was  collected  in  the 
United  States  on  Porto  Rican  products  between  Oc- 
tober 18,  1898,  and  May  i,  1900.'"  By  giving 
free  trade  to  Porto  Rico  we  have  surrendered  $15,- 
000,000  annually  which  would  otherwise  be  col- 
lected upon  Porto  Rican  products  imported  into  the 
United  States.  The  United  States  presented  the 
island  with  $200,000  to  relieve  the  suffering  caused 
by  the  hurricane  of  1899.  It  provides  the  cost  of 
the  Porto  Rican  regiment,  the  harbor  improvements, 
the  marine  hospital,  the  weather  bureau,  the  agri- 


I.  E.  P.  Lyle,  Jr.,  "Our  Experience  in  Porto  Rico,"  World's 
Work,  January,   1906. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  157 

cultural  experiment  stations,  the  revenue  vessels,  the 
lighthouse  service,  and  the  coast  surveys.  The  du- 
ties on  imports  to  the  island  tog-ether  with  the  in- 
ternal revenue  taxes  collected  in  the  island — an  ag- 
gregate of  about  $3,000,000  each  year — go  into  the 
treasury  of  the  island  for  its  own  purposes. 

Some  Drawbacks.  But  in  the  beginning  there 
were  certain  disturbing  elements.  The  war  itself 
caused  all  industries  for  a  time  to  cease.  Great  con- 
fusion resulted  from  the  change  of  sovereignty. 
The  tariff  wall  was  raised  between  the  island  and 
Europe.  This  cut  off  the  coffee  trade  with  Spain, 
and  the  United  States  has  not  even  yet  learned  the 
excellence  of  Porto  Rican  coffee.  The  change  in 
the  money,  making  silver  and  gold  dollars  of  equal 
value,  caused  temporary  stress.  And  not  the  least 
of  the  disturbances  of  this  time  was  the  hurricane 
of  1899,  which  did  immense  damage.  New  meth- 
ods in  agriculture  were  increasing  the  production 
of  sugar  from  50,000  to  150,000  tons  per  year,  and 
the  total  output  of  sugar  in  1903  was  105,000  tons, 
50  per  cent,  greater  than  that  of  the  previous  year, 
yet  it  was  66,000  tons  short  of  what  it  was  in  1879. 
The  recent  increase  in  sugar  production  does  not 
mean  a  proportionate  increase  in  the  island's  pros- 
perity, since  so  much  of  the  income  from  this  in- 
dustry goes  to  absentee  owners. 

Trade  Progress.  But  in  spite  of  these  drawbacks 
to  industry,  under  stable  administration  Porto  Rico 
has  made  great  advance.  The  richness  of  the  soil 
insures  livelihood  if  not  large  profit.     The  exports 


158      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

to  the  United  States  in  1901  were,  in  round  num- 
bers, $5,500,000;  in  1906,  $19,000,000.  The  im- 
ports from  the  United  States  were,  in  1901,  $7,- 
400,000;  in  1906,  $19,200,000/  In  1903  the  ship- 
ments to  Porto  Rico  from  the  United  States  had 
multipHed  eight  times  since  1898,  and  in  the  same 
period  the  return  trade  had  increased  from  $2,415,- 
000  to  $12,000,000."  Dr.  Abbott  has  given  an  ad- 
mirable summary  of  material  progress  in  the  island 
during  the  entire  period  of  the  American  occu- 
pancy : 

General  Improvement.  "That  the  islanders  are 
in  a  more  prosperous  condition  than  they  have  ever 
been  under  Spanish  rule  was  the  testimony  of  every 
one  with  whom  I  talked ;  there  was  not  a  single 
exception.  The  wholesale  dealer  whose  trade  had 
been  lessened  because  retailers  now  buy  directly 
from  the  United  States,  the  coffee  planter  whose 
profits  had  been  diminished  by  the  Spanish  tax  im- 
posed on  coft'ee  imports  into  Spain,  the  Spaniard 
whose  patriotism  led  him  naturally  to  regret  the" 
days  of  Spanish  rule,  all  agreed  that  the  island  v/as 
much  better  off  than  it  had  ever  been  before.  Tlie 
old-time  sugar-mills  have  been  supplanted  by  those 
of  newer  and  better  construction,  one  of  them  be- 
ing said  to  be  the  largest  sugar-mill  in  the  world. 
The  one  monthly  Spanish  steamer  has  been  replaced 
by  fourteen  monthly  American  steamers.  In  some 
asfricultural  sections  land  has  risen  in  value  from 


1.  Outlook,  October    13,   1906. 

2.  Ibid.,  July   II,    1903. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  159 

ten  to  one  hundred  dollars  an  acre;  in  the  vicinity 
of  San  Juan  the  increase  has  been  much  greater; 
nowhere  have  land  values  fallen.  Wages  have  gen- 
erally increased.  If  there  has  been  any  decrease  in 
the  coffee  districts,  it  has,  I  judge,  been  more  than 
made  up  by  the  increased  wages  paid  by  American 
tobacco  growers.  Roads  have  been  built  in  every 
part  of  the  island,  so  that  now  there  is  no  town- 
ship that  has  not  a  good  automobile  road  to  the 
sea,  and  in  a  few  years  all  the  towns  will  be  simi- 
larly connected  with  each  other.  Bridges  are  grad- 
ually taking  the  place  of  fords  and  ferries,  which 
rains  not  infrequently  make  unusable.  Wherever 
the  road  has  gone  the  cost  of  transportation  has 
been  materially  decreased,  in  one  specific  instance 
from  a  former  charge  of  a  dollar  a  hundredweight 
to  twenty-five  cents  or  less.  Along  these  roads  civ- 
ilization finds  its  way,  so  that,  as  one  observant 
resident  informed  me,  a  year  after  a  road  is  opened 
any  one  can  see  the  improvement  in  sanitary  con- 
ditions, bodily  health,  character,  and  quality  of 
clothing,  and  largeness  and  cheerfulness  of  life.'" 

Government.  The  perpetual  and  fundamental 
problem  of  our  relationship  to  Porto  Rico  is  that 
of  government.  Note  some  of  the  special  condi- 
tions which  have  led  to  the  critical  phases  of  this 
problem. 

Unv/arranted  Hopes,  (i)  Much  depends  upon 
a  right  beginning.     From   the   very   day  that  the 

I.  Lyman  Abbott,  "Porto  Rico  Under  the  American  Flag," 
Outlook,  June  26,  1909. 


i6o     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Porto  Ricans  began  to  cry  "Viva  los  Americanos!" 
they  were  receiving  false  impressions  of  our  dem- 
ocratic freedom.  It  will  take  many  years  for  the 
islanders  to  unlearn  some  things  which  they  were 
led  to  believe. 

(2)  There  was  a  psychological  condition  which 
has  entered  into  the  problem.  It  would  be  remark- 
able if  when  centuries  of  restraint  and  oppression 
had  ceased  lawlessness  did  not  increase,  and  a 
"reign  of  terror"  take  the  place  of  a  reign  of  op- 
pression. 

Selfish  Partizans,  (3)  The  third  leading  occa- 
sion of  difficulty  has  been  essentially  political  in  its 
nature.  This  is  evident  in  the  party  divisions  in  the 
island.  The  first  are  the  Spanish  and  their  follow- 
ers who  were  naturally  opposed  to  the  United 
States,  to  foregoing  special  privileges,  and  in  favor 
of  exemptions  from  taxation — favors  enjoyed  un- 
der Spanish  rule.  They  also  opposed  the  extension 
of  education,  citizenship,  and  full  economic  oppofc 
tunity  to  the  common  people.  Such  persistent  self- 
seekers  loudly  asserted  that  old  conditions  were  bet- 
ter than  the  new.  The  second  party  consists  of  the 
extreme  Porto  Ricans,  who,  with  the  Spaniards, 
are  opposed  to  our  rule.  The  third  party,  the  Re- 
publican, appreciates  the  benefits  derived  through 
contact  with  the  United  States,  and  is  seeking  the 
ideals  and  institutions  of  the  American  nation. 

Delay  in  Granting  Citizenship.  (4)  Finally  there 
was  the  refusal  to  give  the  Porto  Ricans  a  status  as 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  i6i 

citizens.  They  were  left  without  a  country  or  a 
name,  and  were  disappointed  and  embittered.  Much 
has  been  lost  by  delay  in  this  matter.  At  last  con- 
gress proposes  to  grant  United  States  citizenship  to 
Porto  Ricans  individually.  The  new  era  will  come 
when  the  personal  responsibility  of  the  government 
of  Porto  Rico,  in  the  spirit  of  freedom,  democracy, 
and  mutual  service,  shall  be  recognized  by  the 
United  States,  so  that  every  Porto  Rican  may  be 
permitted  to  realize  his  rightful  status  as  a  citizen 
of  the  great  republic. 

A  Governor's  Estimate.  The  view  of  conditions 
in  Porto  Rico  as  seen  by  one  of  the  best  of  its  gov- 
ernors is  both  interesting,  gratifying,  and  enlight- 
ening, and  it  may  be  said  that  while  there  have  been 
some  vexing  and  troublous  periods  since  this  esti- 
mate was  written,  in  the  main  it  remains  a  correct 
picture  and  prophecy : 

Successful  United  States  Policies.  "The  history 
of  the  third  year  of  civil  government  in  Porto  Rico 
but  strengthens  the  belief  that  the  United  States 
can  successfully  institute  and  carry  on  American 
government  among  and  with  a  people  willing  to  re- 
ceive its  blessings,  even  though  such  a  people  are  of 
radically  dififerent  tradition,  language,  and  civiliza- 
tion. This  is  an  important  evidence  of  national 
force,  for  I  doubt  very  much  whether  five  years  ago 
many  Americans  would  have  believed  that  the  gov- 
ernment by  the  United  States  of  a  then  Spanish 
possession  would  have  been  so    far  accomplished 


i62     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

that  within  two  years  after  acquisition  Hberal  self- 
government  would  be  substituted  for  benign  mili- 
tary control. 

Administration  of  Law.  "The  results  which 
stand  for  the  real  welfare  of  a  community — equal 
political  rights,  free  education,  just  criminal  laws, 
equal  taxation,  and  material  growth — are  satisfac- 
tory, indeed  gratifying,  in  Porto  Rico.  Of  course, 
there  has  only  been  a  start,  and  contrast  at  this  time 
must  be  made,  not  with  old  States  of  the  Union, 
but  with  conditions  which  existed  under  the  Spanish 
dominion,  and  which  were  found  when  the  island 
became  ours. 

House  of  Delegates  and  Elections.  "Four  ses- 
sions of  the  House  of  Delegates  (which  is  com- 
posed of  thirty-five  members  elected  by  the  people) 
have  passed  within  three  years.  Moderation,  intel- 
ligence, and  common  sense  have  prevailed  in  each. 
Laws  which  were  universally  considered  prudent 
and  wise  have  been  enacted,  and  there  has  been  no^ 
scene  of  insult,  corruption,  or  deadlock.  General 
elections  have  been  held,  and  notwithstanding  the 
impressionableness  of  the  people  and  their  natural 
love  of  politics,  they  have  restrained  themselves 
Vv-ithin  bounds  not  less  creditable  than  prevail  at 
like  contests  in  many  States. 

Protection  and  Education.  "The  courts  are  gen- 
erally respected,  and  crime  goes  unpunished  much 
less  than  formerly.  The  people  are  keen  for  edu- 
cation, and  every  school  is  overcrowded.  All  school 
children  study  English,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  163 

hear  it  even  in  the  remotest  parts  of  the  island. 
Young  men  are  studying,  too,  in  the  United  States, 
fitting  themselves  for  higher  usefulness  when  they 
return.  Modern  sanitation  is  in  vogue,  and  with 
its  expansion  have  come  decreased  death-rates, 
cleaner  cities,  and  improved  hospitals. 

Trade  and  Travel.  "Merchants  are  gradually 
adopting  the  more  rapid  methods  of  American  busi- 
ness men,  and  an  English-speaking  clerk  is  to  be 
found  in  the  principal  stores  of  the  larger  cities. 
Many  more  Porto  Ricans  go  to  New  York  and  New 
Orleans  than  used  to.  Some  go  for  pleasure,  oth- 
ers for  business,  others  for  climate.  They  return 
Vvith  happy  accounts  of  all  they  have  seen,  and  are 
ardent  for  the  island  to  be  in  the  closest  relation- 
ship with  the  mainland. 

Native  Regiment  and  Public  Order.  "The  regi- 
ment of  native  troops  is  a  soldierly,  precise,  and 
loyal  body  of  men.  Law  and  order  exist.  Excep- 
tional instances  have  occurred,  and  will.  Social- 
ism may  crop  out  to  a  limited  extent.  But  a  better 
sentiment  for  peace  and  cjuiet  is  strong.  In  the 
natural  order  of  things  a  few  will  regard  the  pres- 
ent liberty  as  license,  but  such  obstacles  are  an  in- 
evitable part  of  the  whole  task.  There  is  no  doubt 
of  successfully  working  through  them. 

Cooperation  and  Good-will.  Cooperation  between 
a  large  majority  of  the  natives  and  the  governing 
authorities  has  marked  the  course  of  events.  The 
full  ambitions  of  the  people  will  be  realized  in 
this  v;ay,  and  there  will  be  no  serious  interruption 


i64     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

to  their  continued  progress.  The  destiny  of  Porto 
Rico  is  territorial  government.  The  Porto  Rican 
people  are  peculiarly  warm-hearted,  generous,  and 
kind.  Added  to  these  inborn  qualities  are  intelli- 
gence and  aspiration.  Patience  and  fair-dealing 
during  these  early  times  will,  therefore,  insure  good 
results.''^ 

The  Underlying  Hope.  And  beneath  all  these 
forces  which  are  working  for  Porto  Rico's  good, 
there  is  an  underlying  power  greater  than  the  eco- 
nomic, political,  or  social;  and  that  is  the  power  of 
the  gospel  which,  through  faithful  missionary  ef- 
fort, is  slowly  but  surely  permeating  the  Porto 
Rican  life. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  V 

Aim:     To  Realize  the  Results  of  Spanish  and  American 
Rule  in  Porto  Rico 

1.  How  soon  after  Cuba  did  Columbus  discover  Porto 
Rico? 

2.  Do  you  believe  that  the  Spaniards  have  shown  any 
ability  to  govern  colonies?     Give  reasons. 

3.  Why  do  you  suppose  the  Porto  Ricans  did  not  pro- 
test against  Spanish  rule  as  the  Cubans? 

4.*  By  what  legal  and  moral  right  did  the  United  States 
assume  control   of   Porto  Rico? 

5.  State  some  of  the  mistakes  that  the  United  States 
government  has  made  in  dealing  with  the  Porto 
Ricans  ? 

6.  Do  you  believe  these  mistakes  could  have  been 
avoided  ? 


I.  W.   H.   Hunt,  "Conditions  in   Porto   Rico,"  Independent, 
October  8,   1903. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT  165 

.      7.     Enumerate  some  of  the  chief  benefits  that  have  come 
to  Porto  Rico  under  the  new  regime. 

8.  What  can  the  people  of  the  United  States  do  to  make 
the  administration  more  efficient? 

9.  Is  it  an  easy  task  to  govern  the  Porto  Ricans? 

10.     Enumerate  some  of  the  difficulties  in  governing  peo- 
ple of  a  diflferent  race. 

II.*  What   do   you   consider  the  principal   administration 
problems  that  must  be  solved  by  our  government? 
■    12.     Do  you  believe   that  the    Porto   Ricans  are  satisfied 
with  their  present  administration?     Give  reasons. 

13.  To  what  extent  may  we  expect  the  government  to 
uplift  the  moral  life  of  the  people? 

14.  Have  we  discharged  our  whole  responsibility  to  Porto 
Rico  when  we  have  provided  a  stable  government? 

I     15.     What   other  agencies   are   essential    to   build    up   the 
moral  life  of  a  people?     Give  reasons. 
16.     Will  missionary  effort  aid  the  government  in  its  ad- 
ministration?    How? 

REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 
CHAPTER  V 

Under  Spanish  Rule. 

Fiske,  The  West  Indies,  XXIV. 
Hill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  XVI. 

Van    Middeldyk,    The    History    of    Puerto    Rico,    XXIII- 
XXVI. 

Under  American  Rule. 

Abbott,   "Porto    Rico   Under   the   American   Flag,"    Out- 
look, J>me  26,  igog. 
Draper,  The  Rescue  of  Cuba,  XV. 
Fiske,  The  West  Indies,  XXVII. 
Forbes,   "United   States  in   Porto   Rico,"   World's   Work, 

September,    1907. 
Ober,  Porto  Rico,  and  Its  Resources,  XVI. 
Seabury,  Porto  Rico,  XIX. 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


167 


We  simply  had  to  have  the  Island  for  strategic  purposes, 
and,  for  the  same  reason,  we  could  not  afford  to  let  anybody 
else  have  it.  Spain  held  Porto  Rico  because  of  the  opportuni- 
ties it  gave  to  exploit  the  natives.  But  we,  on  the  other 
hand,  give  the  natives  full  value  for  all  the  strategic  advan- 
tages that  come  from  our  occupation.  It  is  a  fair  bargain.  "We 
do  not  draw  a  cent  in  taxes  from  the  island,  but  tax  our- 
selves to  give  to  the  islanders.  This  is  their  good  fortune  In 
having  a  good  geographical  location — and  also  their  good  for- 
tune that  we  pay  for  what  we  get.  We  need  Porto  Rico  to 
e^uard  the  approach  to  the  Canal. 

— Eugene  P.  Li/le,  Jr. 

These  people  have  implicitly  trusted  their  life,  liberty, .  and 
property  to  our  guardianship.  The  great  Republic  has  a  debt 
of  honor  to  the  island  which  indifference  and  ignorance  of  ita 
needs  can  never  pay.  President  McKinley  declared  to  the 
writer  that  it  was  his  desire  to  "put  the  conscience  of  the 
American  people  into  the  islands  of  the  sea."  This  has  been 
done. 

— M.    G.   Brumbaugh 

Great,  indeed,  Is  the  problem  of  the  United  States  to  divert 
the  logic  of  centuries  to  a  happy  conclusion.  No  schools,  no 
Sabbaths,  no  real  homes;  a  profligate  priesthood  supervising 
religion;  a  military  espionage  directed  by  low  suspicion;  thQ^ 
fields  of  chivalrous  and  honorable  endeavor  everywhere  shut; 
such  was  the  condition  from  which  issued  the  social  forces 
that  were  to  develop  Porto  Rico,  and  turn  its  lovely  climate, 
its  inspiring  landscape,  its  fruitful  soil,  into  an  inheritance  of 
happiness,  prosperity,  and  civic  pride.  It  is  to  be  hoped  the 
United  States  will  reach  this  result  in  one  tenth  the  time 
Spain  spent  in  not  reaching  it. 

— E.  S.  Wilscn 


VI 

THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

I.     A  Land  of  Loveliness 

Picturesque  Porto  Rico.  It  is  impossible  to  es- 
cape the  romance  of  the  swift  transition  from  tem- 
perate zone  to  tropical.  Only  fourteen  hundred 
miles,  yet  everything  unfamiliar  and  unlike — no, 
not  quite  everything,  for  here  are  the  unescapable 
automobile,  the  telephone,  the  trolley,  and  the 
American  of  various  types.  The  deck  of  the  in- 
coming steamer  is  undoubtedly  the  place  for  poetry. 
Once  on  shore,  you  soon  come  down  to  pavements, 
and  people,  and  prose.  Seventy  miles  out  from  land 
you  can  espy  the  peak  of  El  Yunque,  which  is  to 
Porto  Rico  very  much  what  Fujiyama  is  to  Japan, 
only  there  is  no  sacred  shrine  on  the  Porto  Rican 
summit  nor  definite  knowledge  yet  as  to  its  height. 
Be  it  five  thousand  feet  or  four  thousand,  more  or 
less,  what  matters  it?  It  is  by  no  means  a  lone 
peak,  however,  for  the  mountains  greet  you  on 
every  view.  The  Sierras  extend  the  entire  length 
from  east  to  west,  forming  a  great  backbone  ridge, 
from  which  the  rivers  and  streams  flow,  some 
169 


170      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

north  and  some  south,  into  the  sea.  The  coastal 
plains  run  around  the  island,  a  narrow  green  strip 
between  the  foothills  and  the  sea,  broken  in  upon 
here  and  there  by  bluffs  and  an  occasional  wide 
sandy  stretch  on  the  southern  side.  Nine  tenths  of 
the  entire  island  is  mountainous.  The  valleys  of 
the  higher  landscape  show  cultivated  fields,  white 
villages,  and  fringes  of  stately  palms,  and  there 
are  slopes  covered  with  forests  in  shades  from  the 
lightest  to  the  darkest  green.  Travelers  pretty  well 
agree  that  no  spot  of  its  size  has  more  varied  or 
enchanting  scenery. 

Size  and  Strategic  Position.  ^Porto  Rico  is  a  par- 
allelogram of  3,435  square  miles,  about  two  thirds 
as  large  as  Connecticut,  or  equal  to  Rhode  Island 
and  Delaware  combined.  It  is  105  miles  long  by 
35  miles  wide,  as  long,  therefore,  as  Long  Island, 
New  York,  but  twice  as  wide.  Its  situation  is 
strategic.  Trace  a  line  on  the  map  directly  south 
from  Nova  Scotia  and  it  will  strike  Porto  Rico. 
San  Juan  is  1,600  miles  from  Halifax,  1,420  from^ 
New  York,  850  from  Bermuda,  1,000  from  Ha- 
vana, 1,200  from  Panama,  2,180  from  Cadiz,  3,550 
from  Southampton,  650  from  Venezuela,  1,650 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon.  It  lies  thus  mid- 
way between  North  and  South  America,  and  di- 
rectly on  the  great  line  of  travel  from  Europe  to 
the  Pacific  via  the  Panama  Canal.  San  Juan,  which 
has  the  one  perfect  harbor  of  the  island,  seems  des- 
tined to  be  the  calling  and  coaling  port  of  inter- 
oceanic  transportation,  the  natural  center  of  tropical 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     171 

commerce,  the  distributing  point  of  the  West  In- 
dies. The  eastern  outpost  of  America,  it  guards 
the  eastern  passage  to  the  Caribbean  as  Cuba  guards 
the  western.  Its  centuries  of  isolation  are  past, 
and  this  "most  smihng  of  the  Antilles,"  as  De  Cas- 
sagnac  happily  describes  it,  promises  to  be  not  only 
the  healthiest  and  loveliest  but  the  livehest  of  the 
greater  group  of  which  it  is  in  size  the  least. 

Discomfort  of  Summer  Rains.  The  rainfall  is 
abundant  for  agriculture.  Porto  Rico  has  this  pe- 
culiarity, that  on  the  north  coast  it  is  Hkely  to  rain 
at  any  time  throughout  the  year,  while  on  the  south 
coast  sometimes  rain  does  not  fall  for  ten  or  twelve 
months  together,  so  that,  as  some  one  suggests,  the 
island  has  a  wet  and  dry  side  rather  than  a  wet  and 
dry  season^  Yet  there  is  a  wet  season,  too,  from 
May  to  October  or  November,  and  this  season  is 
especially  trying  to  a  Northerner,  who  is  apt  to 
catch  the  "dengue"  fever,  a  kind  of  malaria  not 
fatal,  but  very  disagreeable,  like  the  mosquitoes.  In 
the  summer  the  water  falls,  not  in  showers,  but  in 
sheets,  and  everything  is  deluged.  The  sound  of 
thunder  is  heard,  and  suddenly  the  downpour  fol- 
lows. Then  the  rain  stops  as  suddenly  as  it  came, 
the  sun  dries  everything,  and  in  twenty  minutes 
more  you  would  scarcely  know  it  had  rained  at  all. 
The  clothesless  children  make   it  their   bath,   and 


I.  This  is  because  the  trade  winds,  blowing  from  the  east 
and  northeast,  strike  the  mountain  summits,  which  cool  them 
and  condense  the  moisture  into  rain.  When  the  mountains 
are  passed,  the  clouds  thin  out,  so  that  little  rain  falls  on  the 
southern  side. 


172     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

mothers  often  soap  them  for  it.  Among  the  moun- 
tains the  torrents  rush  into  the  rivers,  overflow 
them,  and  flood  the  plains  below.  More  than  once 
the  missionaries  have  been  caught  in  these  storms 
and  barely  escaped  with  their  lives  in  trying  to 
ford  the  streams  separating  them  from  their  desti- 
nation. Then  the  mud  is  as  disagreeable  as  the  wet 
and  the  all-penetrating  dampness.  Keep  away  from 
Porto  Rico  in  summer,  if  you  are  going  for  pleas- 
ure and  health. 

Attractive  Winter  Climate.  The  climate  of  the 
winter  months  is  generally  regarded  as  pretty 
nearly  perfect,  at  least  in  parts  of  the  island.  One 
writer  says  it  is  a  perennial  May-day.  It  is  never 
cold.  The  thermometer  ranges  from  sixty-five  to 
ninety-four  degrees,  average  seventy ;  and  the  aver- 
age in  the  summer  months  is  only  about  five  degrees 
higher  than  in  winter,  so  that  it  is  not  the  extra 
heat  so  much  as  the  humidity  that  marks  the  sea- 
sons. Such  a  thing  as  frost  is  unknown.  The 
trade  winds  rise  by  ten  in  the  morning  and  blo\v' 
across  the  island  daily,  and  the  nights  are  cool.  The 
climate  of  the  north  shore  differs  materially  from 
that  of  the  south.  Then  there  is  a  great  difference 
between  San  Juan  on  the  coast  and  Rio  Piedras 
only  a  few  miles  up  in  the  hills.  In  two  hours  you 
can  pass  from  the  cool  and  balmy  atmosphere  of 
sixty  at  a  village  two  thousand  feet  above  sea-level 
to  a  temperature  of  ninety  in  the  shade  in  the  capi- 
tal.    You  can  select  your  residence  in  any  tempera- 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     173 

ture  desired  except  the  frigid.'  There  is  hardly 
an  hour  when  clothing  is  necessary  for  warmth. 
The  Indians  went  naked  the  year  around,  and  to- 
day thousands  of  little  children  do  the  same.  They 
are  clad  simply  in  "sunshine  and  a  smile,"  with  oc- 
casionally a  straw  hat  on  the  head.  For  a  winter 
resort,  then,  Porto  Rico  is  admirable.  For  an  all- 
year  residence  Americans  find  the  climate  enervat- 
ing, and  need  frequent  furloughs  to  get  the  brace 
of  our  northern  ozone.  The  American  missionaries 
ought  to  come  home  once  in  two  or  three  years. 

2.     A  Land  of  Fertility 

Easily  Raised  Products.  Porto  Rico  has  forty- 
seven  rivers  and  thirteen  hundred  rivers  and  streams 
all  told;  most  of  the  rivers  resembling  streams  in 
the  dry  season  and  many  of  the  streams  becoming 
rivers  and  the  rivers  torrents  in  the  wet  season. 
The  north  coast  gets  more  water  distribution  than 
tlie  south,  which  has  drought  at  times,  and  is  kept 
fertile  by  irrigation.  There  is  no  part  of  the  island 
that  is  not  capable  of  cultivation,  even  to  the  sum- 
mits of  the  mountains.  Less  than  one-fifth  of  it  is 
under  cultivation,  however,  owing  to  bad  roads,  lack 


I.  In  July,  1909,  in  one  of  our  very  hot  spells  in  New 
York,  above  go  degrees,  an  American  missionary  to  Porto 
Rico  on  leave  said  to  me :  "I  am  all  used  up,  and  I  wish  I 
were  sailing  to-day.  We  never  have  any  such  heat  as  this  in 
Porto  Rico,  and  I  have  suffered  more  from  heat  in  the  last 
three  days  than  in  Porto  Rico  in  the  last  nine  years.  I  want 
to  get  where  it  is  cool." 


174     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

of  roads,  absentee  ownership  of  land,  poor  markets, 
poor  management,  and  other  reasons,  all  remediable 
or  removable/  The  soil  is  marvelously  rich.  Na- 
ture seems  to  have  put  a  premium  upon  indolence, 
for  as  an  American  official  has  remarked,  the  na- 
tive while  lying  in  his  hammock  can  pick  a  banana 
with  one  hand  and  at  the  same  time  dig  a  sweet 
potato  with  one  foot.  Where  four  crops  a  year  can 
be  grown,  this  does  not  seem  so  improbable.  It  is 
said  that  five  days'  work  will  keep  a  family  on  plan- 
tain a  whole  year — and  the  families  average  ten. 
Vegetables  may  be  planted  at  any  time.  Beans,  rice, 
sweet  potatoes,  peas,  tomatoes,  pumpkins,  melons, 
and  other  vegetables  ripen  in  two  or  three  months. 
There  is  a  great  variety  of  tropical  fruits,  of  which 
the  orange  and  banana  can  best  be  raised  for  ex- 
port. The  Porto  Rican  orange  is  large,  juicy,  and 
sweet,  with  delicate  flavor.  Eight  varieties  of  ba- 
nana grow  wild  and  abundantly,  from  the  fifteen 
to  twenty-inch  cooking  variety  to  the  delicious  tinj^^ 
"ladies'  fingers."  The  Porto  Rico  pineapples,  too, 
are  the  finest,  while  the  natives  can  live  on  the 
breadfruit  if  everything  else  should  fail.  Coconuts 
are  as  plentiful  as  the  other  natural  products. 

No  Waste  Places.  The  land  is  wonderfully  fer- 
tile. The  alluvial  bottom  lands  along  the  rivers 
and  the  coastal  plains  yield  sugar  abundantly  in  re- 
sponse to  the  simplest  methods.  The  upland  val- 
leys and  the  foothills  produce  tobacco  of  the  finest 

I.  The  Governor's  Report  for  1901  shows  only  464.361  acres 
under  cultivation,  out  of  a  total  area  of  2,347,520  acres. 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     175 

quality.  The  slopes  of  the  hills  support  groves  of 
oranges,  fields  of  bananas,  and  plantations  of  cof- 
fee. Even  the  sandy  belt  along  the  shore  affords 
the  most  favorable  ground  for  the  growth  of  the 
coconut-palm.  There  are  no  wastes,  no  swamps, 
no  rocky  stretches.  The  surface  is  clad  in  peren- 
nial verdure.  There  is  no  reason  why  the  entire 
island  should  not  become  the  great  vegetable  and 
fruit  garden  and  sugar,  cofifee,  and  tobacco  planta- 
tion for  the  American  market.  With  a  contented 
people  and  freedom  from  hurricane  destruction,  the 
prosperity  of  Porto  Rico  seems  assured.  And  all 
that  the  people  of  the  United  States  have  to  do  to 
assure  it  absolutely  is  to  drink  Porto  Rico  coffee, 
sweeten  it  with  Porto  Rico  sugar,  and  eat  the  de- 
licious Porto  Rico  oranges,  pineapples,  and  grape- 
fruit. 

Improved  Transportation.  The  transportation 
facilities  have  been  totally  inadequate  to  agricul- 
tural progress  or  even  ordinary  communication. 
Spain  built  the  famous  macadam  military  road 
eighty  miles  long  which  runs  across  the  mountains 
from  San  Juan  to  Ponce — admittedly  a  daring  en- 
gineering feat  and  the  finest  road  in  the  western 
hemisphere.  But  aside  from  this  the  island  was 
left  in  wretched  condition.  Many  sections  had  no 
way  to  market  except  trails  dangerous  for  man  or 
horse;  in  following  these  our  missionaries  have  had 
thrilling  experiences,  in  which  sometimes  their 
guests  from  the  States  have  shared.  When  the 
Americans  came,  no  other  demand  was  so  impera- 


176      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

tive  as  that  for  good  roads,  and  the  demand  is  being 
comphed  with  as  rapidly  as  possible.  To  the  171 
miles  constructed  under  Spanish  rule  in  four  cen- 
turies, the  American  administration  has  added  more 
than  200  miles  in  ten  years,  and  is  working  sys- 
tematically to  supply  the  needs  of  every  section. 
The  branch  routes  must  necessarily  be  wagon  roads, 
owing  to  the  hill  ranges.  The  railroad  extension 
will  be  limited  to  the  coast  line  around  the  island, 
with  short  loops  and  branches  into  the  interior.  The 
disjointed  sections  of  single-track  railway  have  been 
connected  so  that  there  is  now  a  continuous  line, 
sucli  as  it  is,  from  Carolina,  through  San  Juan, 
Arecibo,  Mayaguez,  and  other  towns  to  Ponce.  An 
American  company  has  succeeded  the  incompetent 
French  management,  American  locomotives  have 
replaced  the  little  French  engines,  always  out  of 
running  order,  and  the  roadbed  and  equipment  are 
in  process  of  improvement.  About  half  the  pro- 
posed construction  has  been  completed.  ^ 
Rise  in  Values  and  Population.  The  effects  of 
improved  transportation  facilities  are  already  ob- 
servable. As  fast  as  the  highways  are  opened  to 
traffic  the  lands  adjoining  rise  greatly  in  value  and 
are  immediately  put  under  cultivation.  There  has 
been  a  general  enhancement  of  real-estate  values, 
and  land  that  lacked  buyers  at  $10  and  $15  an  acre 
now  sells  for  $50.  INIarked  improvements  in  plan- 
tations are  seen,  and  the  narrow-tire,  two-wheeled 
ox-cart  is  giving  place  to  the  American  wagon. 
Undoubtedly  the  island  can  support  a  population  of 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     177 

two  millions  easily  when  properly  cultivated,   and 
that  without  introducing-  the  strenuous  life. 


3.     The  Porto  Rican  People 

Results  of  Census.  When  the  Americans  took 
hold  in  Porto  Rico,  the  first  thing  was  to  have  a 
census,  so  as  to  know  the  population  and  its  char- 
acter. There  was  little  reliable  information  to  be 
had.  The  result  placed  the  population  at  953.200. 
The  census  of  1910  is  expected  to  show  a  marked 
increase.  Accepting  Dr.  Carroll's  classification  of 
the  people  according  to  the  three  colors,  white, 
gray,  and  brown,  there  were  590,000  whites,  or 
three  fifths  of  the  whole;  300,000  of  the  gray,  or 
mulattoes;  59,000  of  the  brown,  or  negroes,  and 
seventy-five  Chinese.  The  number  of  Americans 
now  in  the  island  is  estimated  at  about  2,000. 

A  Homogeneous  People.  In  spite  of  the  varied 
bloods  from  which  they  came,  the  Porto  Ricans  are 
more  homogeneous  than  the  Cubans,  as  the  result 
of  a  long  period  during  which  they  were  much  iso- 
lated and  became  assimilated.  There  is  no  distinct 
color-line,  nor  can  one  be  drawn.  In  speaking  of 
the  total  population  of  the  island,  Mr.  Archibald 
Hopkins  says :  "The  Porto  Ricans  may  be  roughly 
divided  into  three  classes :  ( i )  The  Spanish  and 
those  of  Spanish  blood,  comprising  most  of  the 
planters,  bankers,  and  business  men,  and  owning 
the  bulk  of  the  property;  (2)  the  natives  of  some- 
what   mixed    blood,    constituting    probably    three- 


178      ADVAXXE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

quarters  of  the  population;  and    (3)    emancipated 
slaves.'" 

Characteristics.  Porto  Rican  character  is  as  com- 
posite as  Porto  Rican  blood.  On  the  whole,  the 
Porto  Rican  is  courteous,  hospitable,  industrious, 
peaceable,  law-abiding,  and  intelligent.  No  general 
insurrection  has  ever  occurred  in  the  island,  indica- 
ting to  some  a  lack  of  spirit  as  compared  with  the 
constantly  revolting  Cubans.  But  the  conditions 
were  radically  different.  General  Roy  Stone,  who 
\vas  in  Porto  Rico  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  war, 
and  subsequently,  and  wdio  came  into  close  contact 
with  the  Porto  Ricans  of  the  laboring  class,  gives 
them  high  praise.  He  says  they  are  not  only  kind- 
hearted  and  courageous,  but  much  more  intelligent 
and  industrious  than  most  Americans  have  supposed 
them  to  be.  The  w-ealthier  citizens  are  as  well  edu- 
cated as  our  own,  and  the  children  are  quick  to 
learn.  This  is  the  common  testimony  of  teachers 
and  all  wlio  have  watched  the  educational  pro^ 
ress.  Having  had  occasion  to  employ  many  thous- 
ands of  laborers  on  military  roads  during  the  war, 
General  Stone  says  he  has  rarely  found  more  will- 
ing or  effective  workers  in  any  country,  although 
the  men  appeared  to  be  scantily  fed  and  stunted  in 
growth.  He  believes  that  with  regular  employ- 
ment, good  wages,  nourishing  food,  better  homes, 
some  education,  and  hope  for  a  future,  the  Porto 
Rican  jiharos  (peon  or  peasant  class)  will  be  as 
good  laborers  as  one  could  find  anywhere. 

I.  Outlook,  Julj-  13,  1901. 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     179 

Good  Workers.  Colonel  W.  Winthrop,  United 
States  Army,  interested  in  the  island  from  the  mili- 
tary point  of  view,  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  qual- 
ity of  the  people  as  a  whole  is  superior  to  that  of 
any  other  of  the  West  India  islands.  The  Porto 
Ricans  have  been  purely  agricultural,  and  at  an 
early  period  the  crown  lands  were  divided  among 
the  natives,  forming  a  community  of  small  pro- 
prietors. Then  the  slaves  were  permitted  to  pur- 
chase freedom  on  easy  terms,  so  that  in  1873,  when 
slavery  w^as  abolished,  there  were  but  few  iin- 
emancipated  persons  left  in  the  province.  Thus 
there  was  insured  for  Porto  Rico  a  peasantry  of 
free  laborers — an  industrious  and  self-sustaining 
population.  Even  the  poor  white  jibaro  of  the 
mountains  or  interior,  he  says,  is  no  burden  ujXDn 
the  government,  but  with  his  cow  and  horse,  his 
acre  of  corn  or  sweet  potatoes,  his  few  coffee  plants 
and  plantain  trees,  lives  with  his  family  an  inde- 
pendent existence. 

Ideas  of  a  Native.  As  to  the  general  appear- 
ance of  the  people,  let  a  native  have  his  say.  A 
little  text-book  of  geography,  written  by  a  local 
educator,  and  used  in  the  schools  of  Porto  Rico 
under  the  old  regime,  has  this  paragraph  in  answer 
to  the  author's  own  question:  "What  is  the  char- 
acter of  the  Puertoriquenians?"  "His  manner  is 
affable  and  accommodating.  His  complexion 
usually  is  slightly  pale,  his  appearance  agreeable,  his 
figure  graceful,  and  his  bearing  dignified  yet  alert. 
The  Puertoriquenians   are  honorable,   valiant,   and 


i8o      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

hospitable.  Their  constitution,  hke  that  of  most 
inhabitants  of  hot  countries,  is  frail  and  subject 
to  sickness,  yet  there  are  many  indications  of  indi- 
viduals, particularly  those  who  are  engaged  in  phys- 
ical labor,  who  are  strong,  agile,  and  robust.''' 

Commingling  of  Qualities.  This  is  a  very  fair 
outline  of  the  facts.  The  people,  like  those  of  all 
other  countries,  have  the  good  and  bad  qualities 
commingled  in  fair  proportion.  They  are  readily 
adaptable,  impulsive,  excitable,  talkative  to  a  degree, 
demonstrative.  An  American  scientist  who  has  tra- 
versed the  island  in  his  botanical  studies  tells  me 
that  he  has  found  the  peasants  invariably  honest,  as 
well  as  kind  and  polite,  and  he  ranks  them  much 
above  the  Cubans  of  the  same  class.  He  says  that 
when  he  had  valuable  instruments  which  he  wished 
to  leave  behind  in  following  a  difficult  trail,  the  at- 
tendants would  say  that  it  was  perfectly  safe  to 
leave  them  under  a  tree,  nobody  would  disturb 
them;  and  he  never  lost  a  thing.  The  jibaros,  in 
this  respect,  seem  to  outrank  the  politicians  and 
business  men,  who  are  not  easily  outwitted  in  their 
trade  by  the  Americans.  The  manner  in  which  the 
people  have  received  the  American  missionaries  and 
the  ready  response  to  the  gospel  give  promise  of 
a  right  solution  of  all  present  problems. 

4.     The  Cities  and  Their  Life 

Native  Point  of  View.  Porto  Rico  is  such  a 
compact  little  island  that  you  feel  as  though  you 
could  easily  take  it  in  visually  and  mentally.     But  it 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     i8i 

grows  upon  you  as  you  proceed,  and  makes  some 
astonishing  impressions.  Preconceptions  gained 
from  books  and  travelers'  tales  begin  to  fade  as 
soon  as  you  catch  first  glimpse  of  the  land,  and  fig- 
ures become  evasive.  You  fall  into  the  native  point 
of  view,  and  realize  that  Porto  Rico  never  seems 
small  to  a  Porto  Rican,  any  more  than  his  little 
horse  does  or  than  he  does  to  himself;  and  in  a 
measure  you  come  to  sympathize  with  him  in  his 
insularity. 

City  and  Country  Population.  To  him,  there- 
fore, San  Juan,  a  little  city  of  less  than  thirty-five 
thousand  inhabitants — the  size  of  a  suburb  of  New 
York  or  Philadelphia — is  a  great  metropolis,  and 
"la  capital"  is  esteemed  as  Cubans  esteem  Ha- 
vana, or  the  French  Paris,  or  the  English  London. 
Chief  commercial  port  from  the  first,  San  Juan  does 
in  a  sense  set  the  style  for  the  island,  but  not  in  any 
controlling  measure.  Ponce  is  larger  and  more  en- 
terprising, more  American,  as  the  Porto  Ricans 
think.  Happily  for  its  development,  Porto  Rico 
has  not  been  dominated  by  the  city  fever,  and  it  is 
to  be  hoped  will  not  be,  although  signs  of  it  have 
appeared.  Only  eight  per  cent,  of  its  million  pop- 
ulation live  in  towns  of  more  than  8,000  inhabitants. 
The  truth  is,  the  people  live  everywhere.  That  is 
W'hat  strikes  you  in  traveling  about.  It  seems  as 
though  the  entire  island  were  populated.  There  are 
little  houses  or  the  shacks  of  the  peasants  on  the 
mountain  tops  or  sides,  grouped  in  the  valleys — 
stuck  in  most  inaccessible  places,  on  slopes  so  steep 


i82      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

that  refuse  can  l)e  flung  out  the  back  door  and  dis- 
appear downhill.  And  there  are  children  innumer- 
able. When  you  think  you  are  in  soHtude,  sud- 
denly faces  peer  out  of  the  big  leaves  at  you. 

San  Juan.  But  of  course  you  must  go  to  the 
cities  to  study  the  phases  of  civilization  and  the 
social  grades.  And  here  the  capital  will  retain  its 
preeminence  and  interest.  Founded  in  1521,  forty- 
four  years  before  St.  Augustine  in  Florida,  it  is 
undoubtedly  the  oldest  city  over  which  our  flag 
floats.  Probably  no  more  picturesque  example  of 
the  walled  city  of  medieval  times  can  be  found. 

Principal  Buildings.  Of  course,  San  Juan  has  its 
main  plaza,  with  cathedral,  city  hall,  and  other  im- 
portant buildings;  it  has  also  a  second  plaza  near 
Fort  San  Cristobal,  and  several  plazuelas,  or  little 
squares.  The  largest  building  is  the  Ballaja  bar- 
racks overlooking  the  parade  ground,  reminder  of 
a  military  regime;  others  of  note  are  the  theater, 
which  seats  five  thousand  people,  the  palace  of  the 
archbishop,  and  the  spacious  palace  of  the  governor'^ 
general  in  other  days,  now  the  official  residence  of 
the  American  governor. 

Trolley  Speaks  of  Progress.  A  writer  who  vis- 
ited Porto  Rico  in  1900  and  again  in  1903,  gives 
this  contrasting  picture :  "As  one  goes  ashore  from 
the  steamer  at  San  Juan  and  walks  up  from  the 
landing  stage  through  the  shining,  clean  Marina 
(wharf),  evidences  of  change  are  at  once  forthcom- 
ing. Over  the  shouts  of  the  stevedores  and  bull- 
boys  on  the  docks,  and  the  shrill  whisiles  of  small 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     183 

craft,  sound  the  familiar  gong-  and  ascending  whir 
of  the  American  trolley.  Soon  around  the  corner 
from  the  plaza  swings  a  long  yellow  car  guided  by 
a  white-coated  motorman.  As  it  straightens  out 
and  speeds  away  along  the  military  road,  under  the 
ancient  ruined  walls  of  San  Cristobal,  on  its  way 
to  Santurce,  it  works  a  magic  transformation.  The 
low,  flat-roofed,  bright-tinted  Spanish  buildings, 
with  their  dark  arcades,  the  crumbling,  grass-grown 
fortifications,  the  graceful  palms  along  the  harbor 
shores,  the  entire  composition,  from  the  archaic 
bull-carts  close  at  hand  to  the  distant,  sleepy, 
shower-swept  mountains,  speaks  one  language, 
strikes  one  chord — the  language  of  Spanish  Amer- 
ica, the  minor  note  of  arrested  development,  of  eter- 
nal contentment  in  statu  quo.  That  long  yellow 
car  talks  plain  United  States.  It  speaks  the  lan- 
guage of  progress — its  note  is  the  note  of  progres- 
sive unrest."^ 

Americanizing  Effect.  In  Ponce,  across  the  isl- 
and, another  American  trolley  line  connects  the  city 
with  the  Playa,  or  port,  two  miles  away,  supplant- 
ing slow  bull-carts  and  a  high-priced  and  inade- 
quate coach  monopoly.  Each  line  in  equipment  and 
roadbed  is  fully  up  to  American  standard.  It  pro- 
vides fast,  clean,  brilliantly  lighted  cars  in  place  of 
the  old,  dingy,  badly  ventilated  Spanish  coaches 
covered  with  soft-coal  dust.  Three  years  ago  the 
steam  tram  on  an  hourlv  schedule  was  seldom  filled. 


George  Marvin,  Outlook,  July  ii,   1903. 


i84      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Running  ten  minutes  apart,  every  trolley  car  is  filled 
to  overflowing.  A  Ponce  dry-goods  merchant 
whose  shop  is  in  the  plaza  said :  "The  trowley  is 
more  change  Ponce  to  America  than  all  de  Ameri- 
canos." 

Other  Improvements.  Nor  does  this  exhaust  the 
changes,  by  any  means.  The  automobile  has  made 
its  appearance,  and  not  merely  for  pleasure  tour- 
ing. From  San  Juan  to  Ponce  a  transinsular  ex- 
press and  passenger  service  utilizes  the  splendid 
military  road,  making  the  trip  easy  and  delight- 
ful. San  Juan  as  the  seat  of  government  and  head- 
quarters of  the  military  organization  is  naturally 
more  Americanized  than  any  other  point,  unless  it 
be  Ponce,  which  is  a  close  second.  The  capital  is 
now  regarded  as  the  cleanest  city  in  the  West  In- 
dies, and  an  object-lesson  to  most  American  cities. 
Noting  now  the  order  and  neatness  of  its  clean  and 
well-paved  streets,  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that  in 
1898  the  only  street-cleaning  department  was  that 
of  Jupiter  Pluvius  and  the  street  the  common  drain. 
Now  gangs  of  prisoners  in  brown  khaki  keep  the 
gutters  clean,  the  roads  graded,  refuse  and  garbage 
carried  away.  Dogs  no  longer  batten  on  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  and  the  people  have  pure  aqueduct 
water  to  drink  in  place  of  the  old-time  disease- 
breeding  cisterns.  Ice  was  a  luxury  in  1900,  now 
every  town  of  importance  has  its  own  plant.  At 
night  electric  lights  flash  into  all  the  dark  corners 
of  the  streets,  and  render  the  cafes  brilliant,  while 
nearly  all  the  Porto  Rican  houses  in  the  three  chief 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     185 

cities  use  electricity  for  lighting  purposes.  Tele- 
phone lines  are  in  operation  and  largely  used  in  San 
Juan  and  Ponce,  and  the  familiar  ''hello"  has  made 
its  way  into  the  Spanish  vocabulary,  although  with 
quaint  accent  on  the  first  syllable.  The  long-dis- 
tance phone  will,  ere  long,  bring  all  parts  of  the 
island  into  neighborhood.  There  are  forty  tele- 
graph offices,  established  since  1901,  and  used  by 
business  men  all  over  the  island. 

Crowded  City  Conditions.     What  of  the  life   in 
the  shut-in  streets  of  San  Juan  where  the  people 
swarm  and  the  breeze  has  hard  work  to  find  way, 
in  the  squalid  patios  of  the  poor  and  the  upper  cham- 
bers of  the  better-to-do  ?— for  all  sorts  are  mixed 
in  together  to  a  degree  not  found  in  Cuba.     San 
Juan   slopes   upward    from   the   waterfront   to    the 
twin  forts  on  its  fartiiermost  heights.     Through  its 
thirteen  streets— principal   and  seven  cross  streets 
—drift  ceaselessly  the  thirty  thousand  inhabitants 
who  form  its  labor  class.     That  the  city  was  not  a 
perpetual  plague-spot  is  a  marvel,   for  every  prin- 
ciple of  sanitation  was  violated.     Into  the  eighty 
acres  of  the  intramural  city  20,000  souls  are  over- 
crowded where  not  more  than  half  the  space  could 
be  devoted  to  habitations.     In  the  upper  story  live 
the  better  class  in  ill-ventilated  and  poorly-lighted 
rooms,  for  the  Porto  Rican  shuns  the  trade  wind, 
which  is  probably  the  secret  savior  of  his  city.    The 
lower  quarters  of  the  dwellings  are  "veritable  rab- 
bit-warrens." partitioned  off  into  a  number  of  small 
rooms,  with  a  store  in  the  front,  perhaps,  all  open- 


i86      ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

ing  upon  the  patio.  The  rooms  are  small  and  dark, 
with  no  opening  except  the  door;  and  in  each  of 
these  cells,  absolutely  devoid  of  ventilation,  a  fam- 
ily sleeps,  the  number  ranging  anywhere  from  six 
to  ten  or  twelve.  The  patios  are  simply  indescriba- 
ble. The  relief  is  that  there  is  no  suffering  from 
the  cold,  and  that  the  people  do  not  appreciate  their 
filthy,  unmoral,  and  degraded  state.  Theirs  is  a 
"cheerful"  poverty.  Much  has  been  done  to  im- 
prove the  unsanitary  conditions,  but  the  relief  of  the 
congestion  is  a  problem,  beginning  with  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  poor  will  be  willing  to  move. 
Either  the  buildings  will  have  to  be  thinned  out,  or 
the  outlying  territory  must  be  utilized.  With  drain- 
age this  is  possible.  At  present  San  Juan  is  a  needy 
missionary  field.  Especially  has  the  medical  mis- 
sionary a  great  work  to  do  among  these  untaught 
poor,  who  are  not  immoral  but  unmoral,  not  evil  at 
heart  but  ignorant  of  anything  better. 

Up-stairs  Contrast.  To  pick  your  way  through^ 
the  litter  and  go  up-stairs  out  of  this  aggregation 
of  life  to  the  large,  high-ceiling  rooms,  furnished 
and  arranged  in  about  the  same  fashion  as  the  Cu- 
ban homes  of  the  better  class,  is  to  see  an  amazing 
contrast.  The  contiguity  of  refinement  and  low- 
down  existence  is  almost  unbelievable,  and  you 
never  can  understand  how  the  well-to-do  put  up 
with  it.  Many  of  them  do  live  outside,  in  Santurce 
and  even  as  far  away  as  Rio  Piedras,  where  the 
governor  has  his  summer  suburban  home  and  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  bishop  his  residence,  and  where 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     187 

many  of  the  professional  men  and  missionaries  re- 
side. 

From  San  Juan  to  Ponce.  Few  trips  are  more 
charming  than  that  from  San  Juan  to  Ponce, 
whether  by  team,  automobile,  or  bicycle.  On  the 
latter  you  can  coast  for  miles.  You  pass  gorges 
filled  with  brilliant  masses  of  color.  Every  sharp 
curve  brings  new  vistas  of  beauty,  and  the  whole 
drive  is  a  magnificent  panorama  of  ever-changing 
charm.  The  wide  sweeps  of  scenery  at  times  sur- 
prise you.  Here  huge  verdure-topped  crags  tower 
above  you  on  the  one  hand,  while  on  the  other  far 
below  lies  a  smiling  valley  with  its  little  rivers  and 
stately  palms.  You  ought  to  stop  for  the  night  at 
Coamo,  where  warm  springs  and  warm  American 
welcome  await  you.  All  the  way  there  are  groups 
of  houses,  some  of  boards  loosely  put  together,  some 
of  palm  bark  and  palm  leaves,  the  most  common 
sort.  At  Aibonito  Pass  you  are  at  the  highest  point, 
where  our  army  received  the  news  of  peace  and 
where  refreshments  are  to  be  had  and  the  hill  life 
can  be  studied.  If  you  gain  admittance  to  one  of 
the  better  homes,  the  old-world  courtesy  and  hospi- 
tality will  remain  a  pleasant  memory. 

Description  of  Southern  City.  Ponce  consists  of 
a  port  town  and  the  city  proper,  with  a  two-mile 
highway  between,  lined  by  some  attractive  villas 
widi  shacks  for  neighbors.  The  city  is  well  located, 
and  attracts  by  the  cleanliness  of  the  streets,  the  soft 
colors,  and  the  general  atmosphere  of  comfort.  As 
usual  the  cathedral  faces  the  square.     The  streets 


i88      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES' 

are  straight  and  narrow,  well  kept  and  fairly  well 
paved.  This  is  not  only  the  commercial  center  of 
the  south  coast,  but  is  a  center  of  missionary  ac- 
tivity as  well,  and  you  note  with  satisfaction  that 
the  mission  churches  are  creditable  in  appearance. 
This  is  true,  also,  of  San  Juan.  In  these  and  other 
strategic  points  there  is  no  reason  to  apologize  for 
the  American  Protestant  missions,  and  the  better 
class  of  Porto  Ricans  will  join  in  commendation  of 
their  work  and  of  the  men  and  women  who  are 
unselfishly  laboring  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
the  islanders.  The  difference  between  the  old-time 
priest  and  the  American  missionary  needs  no  em- 
phasis in  the  native  mind — it  is  recognized  at  once. 

5.     The  Country  Life 

Primitive  yet  not  Unhappy  Life.  Simplicity,  lack 
of  pretty  much  everything  that  an  American  deems 
necessary  to  comfort,  convenience,  or  enjoyment — 
barrenness,  dreariness — these  are  thoughts  that^ 
come  as  you  go  through  the  country,  and  realize 
that  the  vast  majority  of  the  people  are  rural.  They 
live  in  mere  shacks,  the  only  furniture  a  few  simple 
utensils,  a  hammock  or  two,  and  a  mat.  The  floor 
is  the  common  sleeping  place  for  the  children.  Tens 
of  thousands  of  Porto  Ricans  never  sat  upon  a 
chair,  or  sat  down  to  a  table  for  a  meal,  or  wore 
shoes  on  their  feet;  tens  of  thousands  more  are 
underfed,  living  from  hand  to  mouth,  chewing  a 
piece  of  sugar-cane,  or  a  piece  of  bread,  if  there  is 
any  handy;  cooking  of  the  most  [)rimitive  kind,  no 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     189 

regular  meals;  the  machete  used  for  knife,  and  fin- 
gers for  forks — you  simply  cannot  realize  such  an 
existence.  Yet  the  people  who  know  no  other  are 
by  no  means  unhappy,  nor  are  their  lives  barren 
of  affection  and  enjoyment.  They  will  share  with 
you  all  they  have,  smile  beamingly  upon  you,  and 
show  you  genuine  kindness.  "There  is  much  pov- 
erty but  little  wretchedness."  These  country  people 
are  very  winning,  however  humble  their  dwellings. 
Like  the  peasantry  of  France,  they  are  the  hope 
and  stay  of  the  island.  Their  children  will  become 
Americanized,  but  the  parents  will  not  change  much 
— that  is,  the  most  of  them.  And  yet — the  next 
chapter  must  be  read  to  appreciate  what  wonders 
the  gospel  can  work  among  just  such  simple-minded, 
simple-living  people.  A  volume  can  already  be 
filled  with  testimony  to  the  transformation  of  the 
lives  of  Porto  Ricans  of  middle  age,  and  past  it. 

Country  versus  City.  There  are  people  every- 
where, but  the  conditions  are  much  more  favorable 
in  the  open  country  and  the  smaller  towns  and  vil- 
lages, especially  in  the  beautiful  hills  where  the  air 
is  fresher  and  cooler  tlian  on  the  lowlands.  You 
may  find  much  to  attract  in  the  cities,  but  you  will 
remember  longest  the  country  scenery  and  the  wel- 
comes you  received  from  those  who  are  classed  as 
jibaros.  There  is  no  better  blood  in  the  island  than 
flows  in  the  veins  of  many  of  these  descendants  of 
the  Indians  and  Spanisli. 

Recreations  and  Gala-days.  Recent  visitors  who 
report  that  baseball  has  already  gotten  a  great  hold 


190      ADVAXXE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

on  Porto  Ricans  young  and  old  are  quite  right  in 
thinking  that  this  is  one  of  the  most  significant  signs 
of  betterment  in  many  ways.  \\'hat  could  be  more 
hopeful,  for  example,  than  to  turn  the  attention  and 
interest  of  a  people  from  such  a  cruel  and  inhuman 
sport  as  cock-fighting,  which  has  been  and  still  is  the 
common  sport  in  Porto  Rico,  as  in  Cuba,  to  a 
wholesome  outdoor  athletic  game  like  our  baseball  r 
The  boys  in  the  streets,  which  are  too  narrow  for 
any  kind  of  play,  will  become  boys  of  the  fields,  to 
their  great  good.  The  play  can  go  on  all  the  year, 
stopping  only  for  rain,  and  clubs  have  been  organ- 
ized in  the  larger  centers,  with  Americans  at  pres- 
ent as  leading  players.  Porto  Rico  has  imported 
many  worse  things  than  our  national  game.  Gam- 
bling is  a  common  habit  with  all  classes,  and  games 
of  chance  are  always  popular.  Fondness  for  amuse- 
ment is  prevalent,  and  Sunday  is  the  great  day  for 
sport. 

Saloons  still  Absent.  The  people  are  partial  tQ„ 
the  theater,  and  every  town  has  one.  The  dance 
is  also  a  favorite  pastime.  Dice  throwing  is  a  sim- 
ple mode  of  gambling,  and  a  game  like  dominoes  is 
seen  in  the  drinking  resorts.  Saloons  of  the  Amer- 
ican pattern  are  not  a  Porto  Rican  institution,  and  it 
is  hoped  will  not  be  imported.  The  Porto  Ricans 
drink,  but  not  in  our  customary  treating  way,  and 
they  very  rarely  become  intoxicated.  It  is  said  that 
the  Porto  Rican  regiment  that  has  been  drilled  to  a 
high  state  of  perfection  is  superior  to  the  Ameri- 
can, because  the  men  are  so  much  more  sober.    Tiiat 


BLANCHE    KEI.LOCG    INSTTTl'TE.    SANTURCE,    PORTO    RICO 
INTEKNATIDNAL     SCHOOLS.     EL     CRISTO,    CU5A 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE     191 

is  a  reflection  which  Americans  ought  to  take  to 
heart. 

Field  for  Schools.  As  for  children's  ."rames,  there 
are  none  practically.  Many  of  the  cl  il  Iren  of  the 
poor  have  never  seen  a  doll.  Our  simple  games 
are  unknown  to  them.  One  result  is  that  without 
innocent  play  the  children  soon  become  corrupted 
and  mature.  The  missionary  kindergarten  could 
have  no  greater  field  for  usefulness  than  in  Porto 
Rico  and  Cuba,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  manual 
training  and  domestic  schools.  A  school  of  play 
ought  to  be  established  and  courses  be  put  in  every 
curriculum.  As  with  Cuba,  Porto  Rico  is  marked 
by  an  unusually  large  proportion  of  children  to  the 
population,  and  this  affords  the  chief  opportunity 
both  to  the  educator  and  the  missionary. 

Enlarged  Agriculture  and  Commerce.  American 
industry  and  commerce  have  given  emphatic  illus- 
tration to  the  larger  agricultural  possibilities.  In- 
stead of  little  patches  of  very  poorly  cultivated 
fields,  one  sees  everywhere  the  better  development 
of  an  unusual  fertility.  Under  scientific  treatment 
and  care,  the  ground  is  giving  forth  coffee,  sugar, 
and  tobacco  in  great  abundance.  Instead  of  poorly 
developed  and  ill  cared-for  crops  of  oranges,  pine- 
apples, and  other  tropical  fruits,  beautiful  orchards 
and  plantations  are  being  laid  out.  American  ma- 
chinery and  American  industry  are  developing 
Porto  Rico. 

Civil  and  Educational  Prospects.  Porto  Rico 
has  entered  upon  its  new  era.  It  is  not  yet  satisfied 


192      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

politically,  but  there  is  prospect  of  better  things,  of 
such  legislation  as  shall  secure  to  the  Porto  Ricans 
their  full  rights  and  assure  them  of  a  future  posi- 
tion of  honor  under  our  flag.  Education  is  making 
forward  strides  steadily,  and  it  stirs  the  patriotic 
feelings  to  see  the  schools  scattered  everywhere, 
with  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  above  the  con- 
crete buildings;  still  more  to  see  the  salute  to  the 
flag  by  the  Porto  Rican  scholars,  who  are  as  bright 
as  one  could  hope  to  see  anywhere. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  VI 

Aim  :     To  Understand  the  Country,  the  People,  and  the 
Need  for  Christianity 

1.  Do  you  know  any  other  island  that  would  compare 
favorably  with  Porto  Rico  in  beauty? 

2.  Would  you  prefer  the  climate  of  Porto  Rico  to  that 
of  Cuba?     Why? 

3.  Compare  the  size  of  Porto  Rico  with  Cuba,  Ne\v_^ 
Jersey,  and  Hawaii. 

4.  Compare  the  population  of  Porto  Rico  with  Cuba, 
Maine,  West  Virginia.   Oregon,  and  Hawaii. 

5.  Is  Porto  Rico  more  strategically  located  as  a  pro- 
tection for  the  Panama  Canal  than  Cuba?  State  rea- 
sons. 

6.  Why  are  the  Porto  Ricans  a  more  homogeneous  peo- 
ple than  the  Cubans? 

7.*  Contrast  the  social  and  mental  cliaracteristics  of  the 
Cubans   and   Porto   Ricans. 

8.*  Is  the  difference  between  the  rural  and  urban  popu- 
lation of  Porto  Rico  any  greater  than  the  difference 
in  the  same  classes  in  the  United  States? 


THE  ISLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE      193 

9.     Do    you    think   that    the   overcrowding    in    San   Juan 

causes    more    distress    than    in    New    York    City    or 

Chicago?     State  reasons. 
IC*  What  do  you  consider  the  principal  drawbacks  among 

the  people? 
II.     What   features  of  American   life   in   Porto   Rico   are 

causing  progress? 
12.*  What  recommendations  would  you  make  to  increase 

the  commercial  activity  of  Porto  Rico? 
13.     Will  a  beautiful   climate,  prosperous  commerce,  and 

good  government  provide  all  that  is  essential  for  the 

development   of   the   best  life  of  the   people?      Give 

reasons. 
14.*  What  other  agencies  are  required?     Why? 

REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 
CHAPTER  VI 
The  People. 

Dinwiddle,  Porto  Rico,  XIII,  XIV. 
Fowles,  Down  in  Porto  Rico,  II,  III. 
Hill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  XVIII. 
Rowe,  The  United  States  and  Porto  Rico,  V. 
Seabury,  Porto  Rico,  III,  IV,  XX. 

Van    Middeldyk,    The    History    of    Puerto    Rico,    XXX, 
XXXII. 

Comvieyce  and  Industry. 

Dinwiddle,  Porto  Rico,  VIII-XII. 
Fowles,  Down  in  Porto  Rico,  VI. 
Plill,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  XVII. 
Ober,  Porto  Rico  and  Its  Resources,  IV,  V,  VI. 
Van   Middeldyk,  The   History  of   Puerto  Rico,  XXXIII, 
XXXIV.' 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK 


195 


"Father"  Sherman,  a  son  of  Gen.  "W.  T.  Sherman,  Roman 
Catholic  chaplain  with  the  American  Army  in  Pcrto  Rico, 
wrote  to  a  Catholic  journal:  "Porto  Rico  is  a  Catholic  coun- 
try without  religion  whatsoever.  The  clergy  do  not  seem  to 
have  any  firm  hold  on  the  native  people,  nor  have  they  any 
lively  sympathy  with  Porto  Ricans  or  Porto  Rico."  To  General 
Brooke,  he  reported:  "Now  that  the  priests  are  deprived  of 
government  aid  many  are  leaving  the  country.  The  Church 
has  been  so  united  with  the  State  and  so  identified  with  It. 
in  the  eyes  of  the  people,  that  it  must  share  the  odium  with 
which  Spanish  rule  is  commonly  regarded.  The  sacrament  of 
confirmation  has  not  heen  administered  for  many  years  in  a 
great  part   of  the  island.      Religion    Is  dead  on   the   Island." 

No  other  work  done  by  the  United  States  in  Porto  Rico  can 
compare  in  importance  to  that  which  the  missionaries  are  per- 
mitted to  do.  The  greatest  change  in  the  island  comes  from 
the  spiritual  transformation  wrought  by  the  gospel  In  the 
lives  of  the  people. 

— S.    S.    Houtjh 

These  people  do  not  suffer  from  the  lack  of  civilization.  They 
suffer  from  the  kind  of  civilization  they  have  endured.  The 
life  of  the  people  is  static;  they  are  stoically  content.  The 
island  needed  an  activity  that  would  develop  each  citizen  into 
a  self-respecting  and  self-directing  force.  This  has  been  sup- 
plied by  the  institution  of  civil  government.  The  outlook  of 
the  people  is  now  infinitely  better  than  ever  before.  The 
progress  now  being  made  is  permanent.  It  is  an  advance  made 
by  the  people  for  themselves. 

— M.   G.    Brumbaugh 

Porto  Rico  is  only  half  as  far  from  New  York  as  England  is 
In  space,  time,  and  cost  of  going.  It  is  twice  more  unlike-^ 
the  United  States  than  is  England.  The  Middle  Ages  and  the 
Twentieth  Century  meet  at  every  turn  in  Porto  Rico.  In  both 
town  and  country  ox-carts  and  automobiles  contest  the  right 
of  way.  Wooden  plows  and  steam  gang  plows  work  planta- 
tions which  are  in  sight  of  each  other.  You  can  use  a  tele- 
phone or  wireless  telegraphy  there,  but  most  people  get  word 
by  going  for  it  on  foot  (barefoot)  or  at  best  on  the  back  of 
one  of  the  little  horses  of  the  Island  which  apparently  have 
been  dwarfed  by  bearing  the  burdens  of  centuries.  Sit  still 
anywhere  in  Porto  Rico  and  a  moving  kaleidoscope  of  colors 
and  curious  forms  will  greet  the  eye.  Your  next  trip  abroad 
would  better  be  to  this  haven  of  Interest  under  your  own   flag. 

— L.    C.    Barnes 


ig6 


VII 

THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK 

I.     The  Results  of  Romanism 

Undivided  Responsibility.  For  four  hundred 
years  the  Roman  CathoHc  Church  held  full  sway 
in  Porto  Rico.  From  the  day  in  1493  when  Co- 
lumbus raised  the  cross  as  symbol  of  Spain's  divine 
right  to  the  island,  no  religion  but  the  Roman 
Catholic  was  tolerated  until  Spain's  dominion 
ceased.  Therefore  the  social,  moral,  and  religious 
condition  of  Porto  Rico  in  1898  is  a  standing  im- 
peachment of  the  ecclesiastical  system  which  had 
absolute  control  in  creating  it.  For  this  system 
dominated  the  state  as  well  as  the  lives  of  the 
people  from  birth  to  death.  There  was  no  divided 
authority.  Roman  Catholicism  is  solely  responsible. 
Its  product  is  an  object-lesson  not  to  be  explained 
away  or  disregarded. 

Use  of  the  Inquisition.  If  the  dominance  of  the 
Church  is  questioned,  it  is  sufficient  to  show  that 
in  1 5 19  Bishop  Manso,'  finding  himself  unable  to 
control  the  mongrel  population,  in  which  Spanish 

I.  Bishop  Manso  not  only  did  not  protest  against  slavery, 
but  took  100  slaves  as  his  portion,  while  Ponce  de  Leon 
had  200. 

197 


198     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

adventurers  and  criminals  then  played  prominent 
part,  had  conferred  upon  him  the  power  of  Provin- 
cial Inquisitor,  and  proceeded  to  set  up  the  Inquisi- 
tion in  Porto  Rico.  Then  it  was  wo  unto  all  who 
did  not  submit  to  him.  His  power  was  greater  and 
more  dreaded  than  that  of  the  colonial  government. 
The  Canon  of  San  Juan  cathedral  says  in  his 
Memoire:  "The  delinquents  were  brought  from  all 
parts  to  be  burned  and  punished  here."  Roasting 
the  victims  in  a  hollow  plaster  cast  was  the  approved 
method.  For  nearly  three  centuries,  until  1813,  the 
inquisitorial  power  was  not  repealed,  and  none 
was  safe  from  its  secret  influence. 

Burden  of  Church  Support.  The  governor-gen- 
eral, by  papal  appointment,  was  civil  head  of  the 
Church.  From  the  beginning  the  Church  was  sup- 
ported, at  first  by  tithes  and  first-fruit  taxes  levied 
and  collected  directly  by  the  priests,  w'hich  added 
monthly  sums  from  the  municipal  districts.  In  1858 
all  special  fees  and  taxes  were  abolished  by  royar 
decree,  and  the  priests  were  forbidden  to  collect 
them;  but  this  order  was  generally  disobeyed,  and 
it  was  admitted  by  the  capitular  vicar  to  Commis- 
sioner Carroir  that  there  probably  had  been  some 
abuse  in  the  charging  of  fees  by  the  clergy  for  baj)- 
tisms,  marriages,  and  burials,  but  he  thought  not 
extensive.  Other  testimony  differed  in  this  respect, 
and  the  results  will  appear  when  the  question  of 
morals  and  marriage  comes  to  be  considered.     In 


I.  Report,  28. 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK        199 

1897-98  the  Porto  Rican  government  paid  $167,- 
340  for  ecclesiastical  salaries,  including  $42,400  for 
the  cathedral  in  the  capital,  and  a  total  of  $235,000 
for  the  Church  and  its  schools,  hospitals,  and  asy- 
lums. The  bishop  for  a  long  period  received  $18,- 
000  a  year,  but  was  gradually  reduced  to  $9,000, 
while  the  priests  got  from  $1,500  down  to  $600  a 
year.  This  sum  meant  much  more  in  Porto  Rico 
than  it  would  in  America.  The  clergy  were  almost 
entirely  Spanish  and  of  the  very  worst  of  their 
class,  cold  and  unsympathetic,  selfish,  much  more 
interested  in  their  own  welfare  than  in  that  of  the 
people,  who  tolerated  but  never  liked  them.  When 
their  government  salaries  ceased,  they  mostly  fol- 
lowed the  bishop  back  to  Spain,  and  for  Porto  Rico's 
good. 

Municipalities  and  the  Church  Buildings.  The 
church  buildings  were  nearly  all  erected  by  the 
municipalities,  the  state  donating  the  ground. 
Therefore  municipal  ownership  was  asserted  when 
the  Americans  took  possession;  but  it  was  agreed 
that  the  original  purpose  was  that  the  local  congre- 
gations should  have  use  of  the  buildings  for  worship 
in  perpetuity.  Porto  Rico  had  done  everything  for 
the  Church ;  what  the  Church  had  done  for  Porto 
Rico  during  nearly  four  centuries  we  are  now  to  see. 

Results  of  Romanism.  What  were  the  results 
of  Romanism  (i)  Educationally,  (2)  Morally,  and 
(3)  Religiously? 

Deplorable  Lack  of  Schools.  The  Church  had 
control  of  education.    This  control  is  always  claimed 


200      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

by  Catholics  wherever  it  can  be  had,  and  when  had, 
as  history  proves,  the  result  is  just  as  little  education 
for  the  masses  as  possible.  Porto  Rico  was  in  this 
respect  like  Spain  and  Mexico  and  Cuba  and  the 
South  American  Spanish-speaking  countries. 
Superstition  thrives  on  ignorance.  Churches,  forts, 
and  barracks  were  built,  but  never  a  schoolhouse. 
Only  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  total  population  in 
1899  could  read  and  write.  As  for  the  people  as 
a  whole,  the  pall  of  blank  illiteracy  and  ignorance 
hung  over  them.  The  only  lifting  of  the  pall  was 
due  to  a  society  called  the  Economic  Society  of 
Friends  of  the  Country,  organized  in  1813,  com- 
posed of  some  of  the  best  people  who  desired  to 
raise  the  standard  intellectually  and  morally,  think- 
ing it  disgraceful  that  so  many  of  the  alcaldes 
(mayors)  should  be  compelled  to  sign  crosses  in- 
stead of  writing  their  names.  Lamentable  was  the 
condition  in  which  the  Church  left  Porto  Rico  edu- 
cationally. And  yet  the  Porto  Rican  bishop  from 
the  United  States  bitterly  opposes  the  splendid  pub- 
lic school  system,  just  as  his  Church  does  in  the 
United  States,  in  Spain,  and  in  France,  and  doubt- 
less for  the  same  reason — the  public  school  makes 
for  intelligent  democracy  and  therefore  against  any 
form  of  tyranny  over  the  conscience  or  person.  The 
public  school  is  the  ally  of  civil  and  religious  liberty 
everywhere. 

Immorality  of  Priests.  The  Church  was  the 
guardian  of  morals.  The  conditions  that  grew  up 
under  her  guardianship  or  lack  of  it  were  so  dis- 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       201 

graceful  and  shocking  that  they  have  to  be  treated 
with  deHcacy.  The  moral  degeneracy  of  the  priests, 
who  were  to  set  the  example  for  the  people  and  who 
claimed  right  over  their  conscience,  is  not  denied  by 
Catholics  w^ho  have  made  investigation,  nor  by  any 
one  conversant  with  the  facts.  What  General  Sher- 
man's son,  a  Catholic  priest,  said  of  the  island  is 
quoted  elsewhere.  The  conditions  were  quite  as 
bad  in  Porto  Rico  as  in  Cuba.  The  visit  of  a  priest 
was  always  dreaded  and  an  occasion  for  scandal, 
if  such  things  were  regarded  in  that  light  by  a 
demoralized  people.  Mr.  Fowles,  who  made  a  care- 
ful first-hand  study,  says:  "Among  these  priests 
drunkenness  is  not  a  serious  offense,  gambling  and 
profane  language  are  so  general  as  to  be  scarcely 
commented  upon,  and  people  only  smile  wdien  the 
relations  of  the  'padre'  to  the  women  of  the  parish 
are  mentioned.  Many  of  the  priests  are  fathers  of 
children,  whom  they  partially  or  wholly  support, 
and  some  of  them  live  openly  with  women  who  rear 
their  families.  A  short  time  ago  one  of  the  richest 
priests  appeared  before  a  court  in  the  western  part 
of  the  island,  and  in  order  that  his  children  might 
inherit  his  property,  he  swore  to  being  their  father 
— yet  the  occurrence  scarcely  caused  any  comment, 
so  accustomed  are  the  people  to  the  immorality  of 
the  priests.'" 

Excessive    Fees    Prevent    Marriage.       Not    only 
were  the  priests  immoral  themselves,  but  they  fcs- 


I.  Down  in  Porto  Rico.  ici. 


202      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

tered  immorality  in  the  people.  Where  they  -should 
have  stood  for  the  sanctity  of  the  home  they  were 
its  worst  enemies.  The  exorbitant  fees  charged  for 
the  marriage  ceremony  made  it  practically  impos- 
sible for  the  laboring  classes  to  pay  it.  The  priests 
charged  ten  dollars  for  the  simple  marriage  service, 
sixteen  dollars  for  a  more  elaborate  service,  and 
twenty-five  dollars  or  more  if  the  persons  were  in 
better  circumstances.  Since  the  ordinary  laborer 
received  about  thirty  cents  a  day  as  his  wages,  it 
will  be  seen  that  to  accumulate  such  a  fee  was  out 
of  the  question.  Therefore  the  poor  people  simply 
went  without  the  ceremony,  and  the  missionaries 
had  to  confront  this  state  of  affairs.  In  the  great 
majority  of  cases  the  family  relations  were  sus- 
tained quite  as  faithfully  as  where  there  was  a 
ceremony,  nevertheless  the  fact  remained  that  ac- 
cording to  the  census  of  1899  158,570  persons 
claimed  to  be  legally  married,  while  84,242  acknowl- 
edged that  they  were  living  together  without  such^ 
legal  bond,  and  148,405  illegitimate  children  were 
reported. 

An  Enlightening  Incident.  What  this  means, 
as  a  quickened  sense  of  propriety  comes,  is  deli- 
cately told  by  Miss  Hughes:  "In  Mayaguez  I  met 
a  bridal  couple  on  horseback  starting  on  their  wed- 
ding journey.  In  type  they  showed  a  strain  of  In- 
dian stock.  They  were  not  very  young.  Yes,  they 
came  from  the  hills,  where  they  had  a  little  home ; 
would  the  kind  sehorita  some  day  come  that  way 
and  bring  the  fotografia  she  promised  they  should 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       203 

have,  and  see  los  ninos  (the  children)  ?  Three 
there  were,  so  good  and  pretty.  No,  they  had  not 
before  been  married,  but  had  hved  faithful  all  these 
many  years.  But  una  Americana,  coming  to  the 
near-by  hacienda  to  see  the  sugar,  had  told  them  it 
would  be  better  so,  better  for  the  nifios  and  better 
for  their  souls,  and  that  now,  with  the  new  masters, 
it  would  not  cost  so  much  as  the  tax  the  priest  had 
asked,  that  they  could  never  pay ;  so  they  had  come. 
A  simple  tale  and  a  simple  pair,  but  pure  at  heart. 
Who  the  Americana  was  I  never  learned — only  a 
woman,  graced  with  tact,  who  had  put  her  shoulder 
to  the  wheel  of  opportunity.'" 

No  Sufficient  Excuse.  Apologists  are  saying 
that  the  high  fees  were  only  in  part  responsible; 
that  much  must  be  attributed  to  the  early  relations 
of  the  races  and  the  irresponsible  character  of  the 
Spanish  men  and  the  native  peoples  and  the  negroes ; 
that  there  is  immorality  in  other  countries  also,  and 
the  Church  cannot  be  held  responsible  for  the  ex- 
istence of  all  evil.  That  is  true,  but  it  is  also  true 
that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Church  to  teach  Christian 
morality,  to  foster  the  pure  family  life,  to  set  the 
example  of  personal  purity  and  righteous  conduct, 
to  instruct  and  inspire  the  people  to  the  utmost  ex- 
tent. In  all  this  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in 
Porto  Rico  was  recreant ;  adding  to  recreancy  the 
fostering  of  immorality  by  fees  and  priestly  cor- 
ruption.    Of  course  this  suited  the  evilly  inclined, 


I.  "Byways  in   Porto  Rico,"   Outlook,  IMarch  4,  1899. 


204     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

and  those  who  found  it  easier  to  escape  family  ha- 
bilities/  That  it  did  not  make  the  island  a  sink  of 
social  corruption  was  due  to  the  innate  virtue  and 
goodness  of  large  numbers  of  the  people  themselves, 
not  to  any  help  from  their  religious  leaders.  Tliere 
is  no  excuse  possible  for  the  moral  laxity  in  which 
the  ruling  Church  allowed  the  teachable,  easily  in- 
fluenced people  to  remain  through  the  centuries. 
Corrupt  in  priesthood,  derelict  in  duty,  stands  the 
verdict  of  the  past.  The  people  were  sinners,  yes ; 
but  they  were  more  sinned  against  than  sinning. 

Religious  Teaching  wholly  Catholic.  The  Church 
was  the  only  teacher  of  religion.  Not  only  was  no 
other  form  of  religion  tolerated,  but  until  1815  the 
Church  would  not  permit  any  but  Catholics  to  live 
in  Porto  Rico.  And  after  that  the  restrictions  im- 
posed upon  Protestants  were  such  as  to  place  them 
at  a  great  disadvantage.  At  the  time  of  the»Ameri- 
can  occupation  there  were  only  two  Protestant 
churches,  both  Anglican,  built  by  the  English  resi- 
dents, one  at  Ponce,  the  other  on  the  island  of 
Vieques.  There  had  been  no  chance  for  missionary 
work,  for  the  priests  would  not  allow  it ;  this,  too, 
although  the  Church  was  not  ministering  to  one 
third  of  the  population. 

Rural  Church  Destitution.  An  American  mis- 
sionary who  went  to  the  island  in  1899  writes  me, 
from  first-hand  knowledge:  "A  selfish  and  sinful 
priesthood  had  constituted  the  sole  and  undisputed 


I.     See  Appendix  C.     Facts  are  there  given  showing  hew 
difficult  marriage  was  made. 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       205 

spiritual  leadership  for  four  hundred  years.  The 
moral  and  religious  condition  of  the  people  was 
pitiable  in  the  extreme.  Eight  hundred  thousand  out 
of  the  one  million  people  lived  in  the  rural  districts, 
and  these  were  wholly  destitute  of  religious  privil- 
eges. There  was  not  a  single  church  building  in 
these  country  districts.  Shacks  of  poverty,  of  irre- 
ligion,  of  immorality,  abounded  everywhere.  These 
shacks  were  crowded  full  of  human  lives,  but  the 
sacred  relations  of  an  American  home  life  were  lit- 
tle known,'" 

A  Shrine  of  Superstition.  While  the  Church 
left  the  people  in  ignorance  of  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  Christian  conduct,  it  fostered  superstition 
and  idolatry.  As  France  has  its  Lady  of  Lourdes 
and  Mexico  its  miraculous  shrine  of  Our  Lady  of 
Guadaloupe,  so  Porto  Rico  has  its  legend  of  Mon- 
serrate,  appealing  to  the  credulity  of  the  simple- 
minded  people,  and  sanctioned  by  the  Church,  which 
seldom  rejects  miracles  that  bring  offerings.  The 
legend  runs  that  a  man  was  plowing  in  a  field  near 
Hormigueros  when  the  ox  which  he  was  driving 
turned  and  began  goring  him.  In  his  distress  he 
prayed  to  the  Virgin  Mary  for  help,  and  immediately 
the  ox  fell  to  die  ground  with  his  legs  broken.  The 
Virgin  then  appeared  to  the  man,  who  in  gratitude 
promised  to  do  whatever  she  commanded.  Later 
she  appeared  to  him  again  and  ordered  him  to  build 
a  church  on  the  hill  for  the  purpose  of  miraculous 


The  Rev.  A.  B.  Rudd. 


2o6      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

healing.  He  built  it  according  to  her  orders,  on  a 
sharp  peak,  where  it  stands  prominently  before  the 
people  of  the  adjacent  town  and  country,  and  named 
it,  "The  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Monserrate." 
Here  the  sufferers  flock  from  all  parts  of  the  island 
for  healing,  bringing  gifts  suggestive  of  their  in- 
firmities. Silver  or  gold  limbs,  eyes  of  precious 
stones,  numerous  articles  of  great  value  have  been 
presented  to  the  church,  which  is  wealthy.  The 
solid  silver  altar,  and  its  solid  gold  candlestick 
weighing  fourteen  pounds,  have  been  molded  from 
the  gifts  of  persons  seeking  healing,  and  the  church 
ornaments  are  valued  at  more  than  $100,000.  The 
church  organizes  an  annual  pilgrimage,  with  ex- 
cursions from  all  sections,  and  the  bishop  and  other 
high  ecclesiastics  address  the  thousands  of  pilgrims.* 
Many  cures  are  reported  and  much  gold  and  silver 
finds  its  way  into  the  church  coffers.  If  the  legend 
is  doubted,  of  course  the  obvious  answer  is,  "Well, 
there  is  the  church  !" 

Immoral  Sports  and  Sabbath-breaking  Fostered. 
While  fostering  superstition,  the  Roman  Church 
had  no  word  to  say  against  the  common  vice  of 
gambling,  or  the  degrading  sport  of  cock-fighting. 
Indeed,  Sunday  was  the  day  for  sports  and  all 
forms  of  recreation.  Our  missionaries  have  to 
work  against  the  fact  that  there  is  no  Sunday  prop- 
erly speaking  in  Porto  Rico.  Sunday  morning  is 
the  chief  market  time  of  the  week,  and  the  crowds 


I.  G.   M.   Fowks,  Dozi'n  iit  Porto  Rico,  115. 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       207 

are  in  the  market-place,  not  in  the  churches.  Sun- 
day afternoon  was  the  regular  time  for  cock-fight- 
ing exhibitions  until  Americans  stopped  this  kind  of 
public  sport.  Sunday  evening  is  given  to  the  bailcs, 
or  balls,  which  last  far  into  the  night,  with  forty 
dances  or  more  in  the  night's  program.  This  is  the 
time  also  for  the  promenades  in  the  plazas  and  the 
band  concerts.  When  the  great  annual  carnival 
comes,  with  its  ten  days  of  festivities,  the  closing 
feature  is  a  grand  parade  of  masqueraders  on  Sun- 
day afternoon.  Instead  of  teaching  the  people  to 
keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy,  the  Church  sanctioned 
the  turning  of  it  into  the  chief  pleasure  day  of  the 
week. 

Religion  Became  a  Form.  Religion  in  Porto 
Rico,  as  taught  by  Roman  Catholicism,  was  a  mat- 
ter of  formality,  attending  mass  and  confession, 
joining  in  the  religious  processions  and  observing 
the  forty  or  fifty  "fiesta"  days  by  refraining  from 
labor,  giving  due  reverence  to  the  priests,  conform- 
ing to  certain  customs  when  within  the  church  walls. 
No  schools,  no  Sabbaths,  no  real  homes,  a  profligate 
priesthood  supervising  religion — what  wonder  that 
the  people  came  to  have  little  respect  for  such  a  re- 
ligion, and  as  far  as  the  men  were  concerned  aban- 
doned church-going  and  all  pretense  of  loyalty  to 
the  organization.  And  this  was  the  product  which 
Roman  Catholicism  had  to  show  for  its  long  period 
of  domination  over  the  lives  and  consciences  of  a 
million  or  more  of  people.  The  people  were  with- 
out a  religion  of  righteousness,  faith,  or  hope. 


2o8      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

2.     How  THE  Door  was  Opened 

Protestant  Missionary  Comity.  Then  came  the 
day  of  Hberation,  the  advent  of  a  new  government, 
the  era  of  rehgious  Hberty  and  missionary  effort. 
As  soon  as  the  hold  of  Spain,  was  broken  in  the 
PhiHppines,  Cuba,  and  Porto  Rico,  the  home  and 
foreign  missionary  boards  of  the  United  States 
recognized  the  fact  that  a  new  responsibihty  and 
opportunity  confronted  our  people.  Various  Prot- 
estant denominations  sent  representatives  to  look 
over  the  fields  with  a  view  to  establishing  missions. 
Most  fortunately,  it  dawned  upon  the  leaders  that 
this  work  in  comparatively  small  and  virgin  fields 
ought  to  be  done  by  some  arrangement  that  would 
avoid  overlapping  or  friction  and  secure  the  speedy 
proclamation  of  the  gospel  to  all  the  people.  The 
principle  of  Christian  comity  came  into  play,  with 
the  happiest  results.  These  are  the  general  terms  of 
agreement :  ( i )  San  Juan  and  Ponce,  the  two  chiefs 
cities,  to  be  open* to  all  denominations  for  whatever 
work  they  desire  to  initiate;  (2)  any  denomination 
that  first  starts  work  in  a  field  shall  be  left  in  un- 
disturbed possession  unless  the  town  grows  to  exceed 
7,500  population,  in  which  case  others  may  enter  if 
they  feel  called  upon  to  do  so;  (3)  a  division  of  the 
island,  by  which  the  Presbyterians  of  the  North  be- 
came responsible  for  the  evangelization  of  the  west- 
ern section,  the  Congregationalists,  for  the  eastern 
section,  the  Baptists  and  Methodists  for  the  central 
section,  the  Ignited  Brethren  in  the  Ponce  district. 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       209 

with  due  provision  also  for  other  denominations. 
The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  not  becoming  a 
party  to  the  arrangement,  but  working  in  harmoni- 
ous relations,  holds  the  island  as  the  Missionary 
District  of  Porto  Rico,  with  a  resident  bishop. 

Beneficial  to  All.  Of  the  benefit  of  this  comity 
to  the  people  of  the  island  there  can  be  no  question. 
A  home  mission  secretary,  after  a  tour  of  the  island, 
says:  "One  of  the  inspirations  of  work  in  Porto 
Rico  is  that  the  different  denominations  are  not  over- 
lapping and  wasting  divine  energy  in  competition. 
Christian  work  is  not  being  overdone  in  Porto  Rico. 
Even  the  head  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  on 
the  island,  Bishop  Jones,  said  to  me  that  there  is 
room  for  us  all,  freely  affirming  that  Porto  Rico 
has  never  been  truly  evangelized  and  frankly  ac- 
knowledging that  the  Protestant  work  is  quickening 
that  of  his  own  Church.'"  There  is  no  doubt  of 
that,  as  many  missionaries  testify;  but  not  all  the 
priests  are  as  ready  to  welcome  the  means  of  quick- 
ening as  the  bishop  declared  himself  to  be. 

View  of  Protestant  Episcopal  Bishop.  Similar 
testimony  is  given  by  Bishop  Van  Buren:  "The 
Church  of  Rome  in  Porto  Rico  neglected  the  hu- 
manities. She  built  no  hospitals;  she  had  very  few 
schools,  and  those  were  pay  schools ;  she  did  not  give 
to  the  people  very  much  to  elevate  and  brighten  their 
lives.  Regarding  the  attitude  of  the  Church  toward 
our  missions,  I  was  told  that  some  one  went  to 


I.  L.  C.  Barnes,  Baptist  Home  Mission  Monthly,  Novem- 
ber, igo8. 


2IO     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Bishop  Blenk  and  said,  'Do  you  see  what  these 
Protestants  are  doing  ?  Do  you  see  how  many  they 
are  drawing-  away  with  them?'  'Yes,'  he  repHed, 
'but  what  of  tliat?  If  they  can  do  anything  to  im- 
prove the  conditions  of  the  Porto  Ricans,  for  pity's 
sake  let  them  do  it,  but  you  depend  upon  it  these 
people  will  return  to  the  Mother  Church  when  they 
come  to  die.  You  do  not  need  to  worry.'  My  re- 
ply to  that  is,  'If  we  can  help  the  Porto  Ricans  to 
live,  we  do  not  care  who  buries  them ;  the  Lord  will 
take  care  of  them  then.'  '" 

Attitude  of  the  People.  The  American  mission- 
aries were  warmly  welcomed  for  the  most  part  both 
in  city  and  country,  and  their  message  was  heard 
gladly,  except  where  the  priests  stirred  up  feeling 
against  them.  There  has  been  some  persecution,  but 
not  more  than  is  good  for  the  workers,  and  the  day 
for  it  has  pretty  much  passed,  since  the  character 
of  the  missionaries  and  the  good  results  of  their 
efforts  have  become  known.  As  already  intimated,- 
there  is  a  vast  deal  to  be  done  without  proselyting, 
for  the  masses  of  the  people  were  not  religiously 
reached  at  all,  and  the  Protestant  missionaries  have 
seen  to  it  tliat  the  rural  districts  are  visited  and 
outstations  planted.  To  take  the  opinion  of  Bishop 
Van  Buren  again,  from  the  same  informing 
article :  "While  nominally  the  entire  population  is 
Roman  Catholic,  I  think  the  great  majority  of  the 
people  have  no  real  allegiance  to  that  religion.    This 


Outlook,  January  14,  1905. 


OPEN-AIR    MEETING 
PREACHING    TO    CHILDREN 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       211 

condition  of  things  is  not  confined  to  ignorant  peo- 
ple who  have  been  neglected  and  are  the  prey  of 
superstition.  It  prevails  also  among  the  better-in- 
formed element  of  the  community." 

3.  Missionary  Outreach 
Attractive  Services  and  Missionaries.  The  char- 
acter of  the  Protestant  services  at  once  caught  the 
attention  of  the  Porto  Ricans.  The  singing  of 
hymns  quickly  drew  listeners,  and  the  priestly 
threats  and  foolish  tales  of  the  evils  that  would 
come  upon  those  who  attended  the  Protestant  meet- 
ings w^ere  not  sufficient  to  overcome  the  interest 
aroused  by  the  gospel  hymns,  translated  into  the 
Spanish.  The  people  like  music,  like  to  play  and 
sing,  like  to  talk ;  and  there  was  something  in  the 
heartiness  and  informality  of  the  meetings  that  was 
as  appealing  as  it  was  novel  to  them.  The  mis- 
sionaries therefore  could  easily  get  a  congregation, 
and  their  message  was  heard  with  respect.  The  first 
difficulty  came  in  regard  to  the  mixed  domestic  rela- 
tions of  those  who  desired  to  unite  with  the  Church. 
The  missionaries  insisted  upon  a  straightening  out 
of  the  family  relations,  and  thousands  of  marriages 
took  place,  with  no  charge.^  This  fact  produced  a 
profound  impression.  A  "free"  gospel  was  indeed 
a  new  thing.     A  ministry  that  seemed  intent  upon 


I.  One  missionary  in  Ponce  says  he  has  married  over  a 
hundred  couples,  receiving  $4.75  in  cash  and  two  pineapples 
in  fees.  The  first  thing  very  commonly  where  persons  apply 
for  membership  is  to  marry  those  who  have  lived  together 
and  reared  families. 


212      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

the  good  of  the  people,  rather  than  upon  what  it 
could  make  out  of  them,  at  first  seemed  suspicious, 
but  gradually  came  to  be  regarded  in  its  true  light. 
The  confidence  of  the  people  was  won  by  the  true- 
hearted  men  and  women  who  plainly  had  no  selfish 
reason  for  leaving  their  homes  in  the  United  States 
and  putting  up  with  all  sorts  of  discomforts  in  a 
strange  land.  The  denominations  have  as  a  rule 
been  very  fortunate  in  the  personality  and  capability 
of  their  representatives.  The  native  workers  have 
proved  quite  as  trustworthy  and  consecrated  as  the 
average  in  any  land,  and  have  shown  in  many  cases 
remarkable  devotion  and  evangelistic  gifts. 

Moral  Tone  Raised.  As  Mr.  Fowles  says/  to 
raise  a  high  moral  standard  among  people  who  had 
never  been  used  to  it  in  any  class,  high  or  low,  re- 
quired moral  courage.  The  Protestant  Church  em- 
phasized the  sanctity  of  the  home  in  a  w^ay  never 
before  known  in  the  island,  and  by  insisting  upon 
morality  as  a  condition  of  Church-membership  has_ 
already  perceptibly  raised  the  moral  tone;  and  one 
of  the  highest  tributes  to  the  character  of  the  Porto 
Ricans  is  the  manner  in  which  they  have  responded 
to  these  appeals  to  their  better  nature,  and  the  de- 
votion with  which  they  are  striving  to  live  accord- 
ing to  the  standards  of  the  higher  life  opened  to 
their  view. 

Communities  largely  Reached.  Only  eleven 
years  of  Protestant  missions,  yet  the  cheering  re- 


I.  Down  in  Porto  Rico,   123. 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       213 

port  is  made  that  there  is  not  a  city  nor  a  large  town 
where  Protestant  services  are  not  regularly  held, 
while  the  same  thing  is  true  of  large  numbers  of  the 
villages  and  even  hamlets  up  in  the  mountains. 
From  Aguadilla  on  the  east  to  Humacoa  on  the 
west,  from  San  Juan  on  the  north  to  Ponce  on  the 
south,  the  gospel  is  preached,  the  women  mission- 
aries go  into  the  homes  with  their  messages  of  cheer 
and  suggestions  of  better  things,  the  children  are 
gathered  into  the  Sunday-schools,  and  in  many 
places  into  mission  schools  for  instruction  in  prac- 
tical lines.  N    J 

Summary  of  Results.  ^^'ithout  accuracy  in  sta-  '/ 
tistics,  the  general  statement  may  be  made  that  in 
this  brief  period  about  nine  thousand  communicants 
have  been  gathered  into  the  Protestant  mission 
churches,  while  many  thousands  of  adherents  have 
declared  their  sympathy  with  the  new  order,  al- 
though they  have  not  yet  openly  professed  conver- 
sion. The  utmost  care  has  been  exercised  to  avoid 
haste  and  mistake,  to  instruct  the  people  thoroughly 
and  test  their  experience  before  accepting  them  for 
membership,  so  that  the  outcome  may  be  perma- 
nent. It  is  a  slow  process  to  permeate  a  people 
with  spiritual  ideals.  To  pass  from  a  religion  of 
ceremonial  and  outward  expression  to  one  of  the 
inner  life  and  experience  requires  the  new  birth. 
The  evangelical  workers  in  Porto  Rico  have  to  meet 
with  prejudices,  preconceived  ideas,  priestly  false- 
hoods calculated  to  neutralize  their  efforts,  and  all 
the  natural  and  cultivated  tendencies  of  a  tropical 


214     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

people.  But  they  see  results  constantly,  and  the  en- 
couragements outweigh  the  discouragements  always. 
It  is  believed  by  one  of  the  missionaries  who  has 
watched  the  progress  from  the  beginning  that 
American  missions  have  already  directly  reached  and 
influenced  the  lives  of  one  tenth  of  the  population; 
while  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  the  last  man, 
woman,  and  child  on  the  island  is  easily  within  the 
reach  of  this  generation.  There  is  absolutely  noth- 
ing to  hinder  the  evangelization  of  Porto  Rico  but 
failure  to  provide  the  necessary  means. 

4.     The  Forms  of  Missionary  Work 
Three  General  Lines.     The   missionary   work   is 
'(i)  Evangelistic,  (2)  Educational,  and  (3)  Institu- 
tional, 

Evangelistic  Work.  The  first  emphasis  has  been 
laid  upon  preaching  and  teaching  the  gospel.  Be- 
ginning in  rented  quarters,  the  missionaries  gath- 
ered the  people  for  religious  worship  and  established 
regular  services.  As  converts  were  made,  and  they 
came  with  surprising  rapidity,  they  were  carefully 
instructed  and  then  organized  into  churches.  Every 
missionary,  in  addition  to  his  chief  station,  took  on 
as  many  outstations  as  his  time  and  strength  would 
allow,  and  commonly  much  more  work  than  health 
would  safely  carry.  But  the  eagerness  of  the  people 
to  hear  was  inspiring,  and  the  calls  for  services  were 
incessant.  Gradually  chapels  were  built,  and  in  the 
strategic  centers  houses  of  worship  were  erected  that 
would  command  respect  and  give  an  air  of  perma- 


! 

'^     ;^  ^    >     r^    f  C) 


III*" 


* 


TRESBYTERIAN      IIOSriTAL,     SAN      JUAN.      PORTO     RICO 
ST.    LUKe'.S    hospital,    ponce,    PORTO    RICO 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       215 

nency  to  the  work.  The  children  were  gathered  into 
Sunday-schools,  and  young  people's  societies  were 
organized.  Women  missionaries  engaged  in  house 
to  house  visitation,  where  they  were  able  to  do  a 
most  important  service;  and  they  also  taught  in 
the  simple  schools  that  were  started  in  response  to 
a  need  soon  made  apparent.  The  evangelistic  work 
has  been  pressed  just  as  far  and  fast  as  the  force 
of  workers  made  it  possible. 

Educational  Work.  While  the  x\merican  govern- 
ment has  covered  the  island  with  schools  and  is 
teaching  150,000  of  the  children  English  as  well  as 
Spanish,  the  missionaries  soon  discovered  that  it 
was  as  necessary  to  have  distinctively  Christian 
schools  in  Porto  Rico  as  in  the  United  States — much 
more  necessary,  if  comparison  had  to  be  made.  The 
training  of  native  missionaries  is  indispensable  if  a 
strong  native  Church  is  to  be  built  up,  and  for  this 
purpose  the  necessary  training-schools  must  be  pro- 
vided. There  must  be  some  place  in  which  to  care 
for  the  boys  and  girls  and  young  men  and  women 
who  have  no  suitable  homes  or  home  training,  if 
they  are  to  be  taught  the  Bible  and  nourished  in  the 
Christian  life.  For  higher  and  Christian  education 
there  was  a  demand,  as  the  first  schools  opened 
under  missionary  auspices  demonstrated.  There  is 
little  doubt  that  more  and  more  emphasis  will  be  laid 
upon  this  phase  of  the  work.  There  must  be  not  less 
evangelistic  work,  but  more  educational.  Every 
mission  center  should  have  its  school,  answering  to 
the  particular  need  of  the  field.     Nothing  would 


2i6     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

strengthen  the  work  more,  with  a  view  to  the  future, 
than  the  estabhshment  of  schools  of  the  highest 
grade.  These  schools  would  in  no  sense  rival  the 
public  schools,  any  more  than  do  the  Christian 
academies  and  colleges  in  our  own  country.  A  the- 
ological seminary  is  an  imperative  need,  if  a  future 
ministry  is  to  be  provided.  To  train  these  students 
in  American  seminaries  and  colleges  is  impractic- 
able, and  of  doubtful  expediency.  It  is  likely  to  get 
them  too  much  out  of  touch  with  the  island  life. 

Institutional  Work.  The  missions  have  to  ex- 
tend their  sphere  of  service  in  many  ways.  The 
physical  development  needs  looking  after,  and  the 
kindergarten  and  gymnasium,  the  cooking  and  sew- 
ing classes,  and  all  the  ordinary  forms  of  practical 
instruction  find  place  in  the  missionary  curriculum. 
Two  good  hospitals  have  been  established  as  object- 
lessons  of  .Christian  philantliropy.  But  more  med- 
ical missionaries  are  needed  to  instruct  the  people 
in  the  elementary  principles  of  hygiene  and  ventila- 
tion and  proper  care  of  the  body.  This  is  a  work 
in  which  all  denominations  could  unite,  keeping 
three  or  four  medical  missionaries  at  large  at  points 
W'here  their  services  are  most  needed.  The  country 
districts  especially  are  ill  supplied  with  medical  skill. 

5.       Dll-FICULTIES  OF   THE  WORK 

Difference  of  Race.  Perhaps  the  chief  difficulty 
to  be  met,  aside  from  the  hostility  of  the  priests,  is 
the  matter  of  racial  dissimilarity  and  the  natural  an- 
tagonism between  the  Anglo-Saxon  and  the  Latin. 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       217 

This  race  feeling  is  not  the  same  as  that  between  the 
Anglo-Saxon  and  the  negro,  but  it  is  as  truly  ex- 
istent and  must  be  taken  into  account.  There  is 
prejudice  on  both  sides,  but  underneath  prejudice  the 
Anglo-Saxon  at  heart  distrusts  the  Latin,  while  the 
Latin  dislikes  the  Anglo-Saxon;  and  there  is  some 
basis  for  the  feeling  on  both  sides.  The  Anglo- 
Saxon  is  superior  in  initiative  and  resourcefulness. 
The  Latin  knows  the  Anglo-Saxon  methods  as  dif- 
ferent from  his,  and  also  superior.  Whatever  his  air 
of  courtesy,  however  graciously  he  may  seem  to  ac- 
cept the  inevitable,  deep  down  there  is  a  race  bar- 
rier that  has  never  yet  been  overcome.  Many  stu- 
dents of  the  races  think  it  never  can  be;  all  that  can 
he  hoped  for  is  a  peaceable  and  friendly  and  mutu- 
ally serviceable  modus  zizTudi  Those  who,  in  spite 
of  the  ethnologists,  believe  that  assimilation  may  be 
possible  are  the  missionaries,  whose  faith  in  the 
transforming  power  of  the  gospel  gives  them  hope 
of  real  unity  through  religious  experience.  Surely 
it  ought  to  be  true  that  a  genuinely  converted  Latin 
and  a  genuinely  converted  Anglo-Saxon  might  come 
to  know  and  love  each  other  as  brethren  to  such  de- 
gree that  at  least  the  racial  prejudice  should  disap- 
pear. Evidences  of  this  result  in  the  missions  are 
gratifying.  The  relations  between  the  American 
and  the  native  workers  are  close,  cordial,  and  broth- 
erly, and  friction  is  rare.  As  a  professional  gentle- 
man engaged  temporarily  in  Porto  Rico  said  to  me, 
it  is  the  ill-bred,  contemptuous,  noisy,  boastful  type 
of  American,  commonly  in  Porto  Rico  as  a  com- 


2i8      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

mercial  exploiter,  who  keeps  the  water  of  ill-feehng 
boihng.  Were  it  not  for  the  American  missionaries 
and  their  unselfish  and  devoted  labors  there  would 
be  little  hope  that  the  Porto  Ricans  would  ever  un- 
derstand us  as  we  are  in  the  main,  or  come  to  like 
us. 

United  States  Officials.  We  have  not  always 
been  seen  at  our  best  in  the  Americans  sent  to  the 
island  in  official  positions,  but  the  average  has  been 
excellent  and  the  government  as  a  whole  worthy  of 
high  praise.  The  manner  in  which  the  present  head, 
Governor  George  R.  Colton,  has  won  favor  with  the 
Porto  Ricans  of  all  classes  shows  how  necessary  it 
is  to  have  men  of  high  character  and  tact  in  that  re- 
sponsible office.  By  his  manifestation  of  sincere  in- 
terest in  the  welfare  of  the  people,  while  at  the  same 
time  making  it  clear  that  demagogic  leadership 
would  find  no  favor  at  his  hands,  Governor  Col- 
ton has  within  six  months  from  the  time  he  took 
office — November,  1909 — succeeded  in  radically 
changing  the  attitude  of  the  people  toward  the 
American  administration  and  people.  He  found  in- 
tense hostility  against  the  United  States  regime.  He 
devoted  himself  to  lifting  the  people  out  of  the 
quagmire  of  political  discussion  by  pressing  upon 
them  their  business  interests.  Holding  strictly  aloof 
from  local  politics,  he  talked  of  nothing  but  coffee, 
sugar,  fruits,  and  other  agricultural  products.  When 
the  politicians  tried  to  create  political  agitation,  he 
talked  business  all  the  more.  As  a  result,  he  has 
allayed  hostile  feeling,  has  secured  the  passage  in 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       219 

seventeen  days  of  the  budget  he  framed,  and  also 
the  enactment  of  many  important  measures. 
Among  them  is  the  donation  of  a  site  to  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  in  San  Juan,  upon 
which  a  $125,000  building  will  be  constructed,  the 
people  of  San  Juan  having  raised  $50,000  toward  it, 
the  balance  to  come  from  the  United  States.  The 
securing-  of  the  subscriptions  in  the  capital  was  one 
of  the  best  things  for  Protestantism  yet  done  in 
Porto  Rico,  and  the  building  will  aid  the  Christian 
missionaries  greatly  in  their  work.  Another  act 
authorizes  the  expenditure  of  $595,000  for  good 
roads,  which  means  that  a  road  along  the  coast  will 
be  built  around  the  island,  with  small  stretches  to 
connect  all  the  important  main  roads.  A  site  has 
also  been  given  to  the  Northern  Methodists  for  a 
school  for  boys,  to  be  erected  by  outside  subscrip- 
tions and  to  cost  not  less  than  $50,000.  This  in- 
dicates a  policy  to  give  sites  where  missionary 
boards  agree  to  erect  buildings.  That  a  Porto 
Rican  legislature  should  make  such  grants  is  sig- 
nificant; whether  the  policy  seems  wise  or  not  is 
another  matter.  The  fact  that  every  measure  en- 
dorsed by  the  governor  was  adopted  by  the  legisla- 
ture proves  that  the  future  is  full  of  hope  for 
amicable  relations,  which  are  essential  for  all  the 
interests  involved,  political,  social,  and  religious. 

6.     The  Influence  of  Comity 
Protestant   Cooperation.      A   standing  argument 
and   persuasive    one    used    by    the    Roman    priests 


220     ADVANCE    IX    THE    ANTILLES 

against  the  Protestants  is  that  of  the  unity  of 
Catholicism  and  the  sectarian  divisions  of  Protest- 
antism. Happily  the  fruits  of  comity  are  becoming 
evident,  and  an  answer  to  the  argument  of  division 
is  given  in  the  Interdenominational  Conference  of 
Porto  Rico,  which  has  held  three  meetings  in  the  ten 
years,  the  last  one  in  San  Juan  in  November,  1908. 
The  night  sessions  were  so  largely  attended  that  no 
church  would  hold  the  people,  and  the  theater,  a 
spacious  and  handsome  modern  building,  was  given 
free  of  charge  for  the  purpose.  That  fact  is  sig- 
nificant. So  was  the  further  fact  that  the  address 
of  welcome  was  delivered  by  the  Hon.  Dr.  Francisco 
del  Valle  Atiles,  mayor  of  San  Juan,  a  man  of  high 
culture.  In  a  half-hour  eloquent  address  he  dis- 
cussed the  history  of  religious  liberty,  and  as  he 
concluded  his  really  remarkable  review  the  confer- 
ence went  wild  in  its  applause,  according  to  the  re- 
port of  an  eye-witness.  The  influence  of  a  man  of 
his  position  and  standing  addressing  a  Protestant 
conference  is  of  great  import  in  Porto  Rico.  The 
response  was  by  a  physician  of  Mayaguez,  a  Presby- 
terian, also  a  man  of  high  reputation.  There  was  a 
fine  representation  of  delegates  from  all  the  denomi- 
nations at  work  on  the  island,  and  the  subjects  dis- 
cussed were  of  broad  character.  The  first  was  'The 
Unity  of  Protestantism,"  the  second  "Protestantism 
and  Education,"  and  so  on.  "The  Relation  of  the 
Church  and  the  State,"  a  matter  of  great  signifi- 
cance in  Porto  Rico,  was  ably  presented,  in  a  way 
to  influence  public  opinion.     The  conference  made 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       221 

for  fellowship  and  harmony,  and  there  was  a  happy, 
optimistic  spirit  throughout.  The  brethren  see  that 
a  united  Porto  Rican  Protestantism  is  the  only  force 
that  can  successfully  oppose  the  Catholic  Church 
and  redeem  the  island. 

7.  JMlssionary  Experiences 
People's  Hunger  for  the  Gospel.  One  mission- 
ary says :  "Two  weeks  ago  I  went  to  a  point  an 
hour  and  a  half's  ride  interior  from  Trujillo  Alto. 
It  was  the  second  time  in  all  the  history  of  the  island 
that  they  had  the  opportunity  to  hear  the  gospel. 
How  the  120  men  and  women  watched  me;  how 
they  listened ;  one  man  said  he  hoped  I  would  preach 
two  hours!  They  learned  for  the  first  time  a  gos- 
pel hymn.  Most  of  them  heard  the  gospel  for  the 
first  time.  They  want  a  teacher,  but  where  is  he 
to  come  from?" 

Patience  under  Persecution.  What  is  the  gospel 
doing  for  Porto  Rican  character?  Let  this  mis- 
sionary testimony  answer :  "The  conference  was 
held  in  a  thatched-roof  building  built  by  the  native 
brethren  and  seating  about  a  hundred  people.  These 
hill  people  are  poor.  The  pastor  of  the  little  church 
is  a  well-to-do  farmer,  but  his  income  from  his 
coffee  plantation  falls  short  of  $500.  The  Chris- 
tians are  suffering  a  peculiar  kind  of  persecution. 
Sugar-cane  planting  has  called  many  men  from  the 
hills  to  the  valleys  a.t  just  the  season  when  their  hill 
lands  should  be  worked  and  planted.  When  har- 
vest-time comes  there  is  nothing  to  gather  and  the 


222      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

people  are  hungry.  Those  who  are  not  Christians 
have  turned  thieves  and  are  robbing-  their  more  for- 
tunate neighbors.  Knowing  that  the  Christians  will 
not  retaliate  they  are  robbing  them  right  and  left. 
It  is  marvelous  to  see  the  patience  with  which  they 
endure  all  this,  with  no  thought  of  retaliation,  trust- 
ing that  the  Lord  will  provide  for  them,  as  indeed  he 
has  up  to  the  present  time."  That  shows  practical 
fruits  of  the  new  life. 

Ready  Participation  in  Meetings.  A  visitor  in 
the  eastern  end  of  the  island  says:  "I  attended  a 
mid-week  meeting  in  a  church  which  would  be  a 
credit  in  any  of  our  New  England  villages.  Many 
in  our  northern  churches  might  profit  by  taking  note 
of  that  prayer-meeting  at  Fajardo.  No  time  was 
lost.  As  soon  as  one  speaker  took  his  seat  another 
was  on  his  feet."    That  is  characteristic. 

Generosity  to  the  Needy.  A  woman  missionary 
says :  "It  was  Saturday  afternoon,  and  the  girls 
and  boys  of  the  industrial  class  had  taken  a  nice 
patchwork  quilt  to  a  poor  homeless  invalid  who  is'' 
sheltered  by  one  and  another  of  kind-hearted  people 
who  take  her  in.  And  here  I  see  another  good  qual- 
ity of  the  Porto  Ricans.  An  orphan  child  or  an  old 
person  left  without  support  always  finds  a  friend  or 
friends  among  those  who  have  little  to  give,  but  give 
that  little  gladly." 

8.     The  Outlook 
What  of  To-morrow?       American  Protestantism 
is  giving  to  the  people  a  veritable  and  pronounced 


FIRST    PRESEYTESIAN     CHURCH,     AGUADILLA,     PORTO     RICO 
UNITED    BRErilREN     CHURCH,    PONCE,    PORTO    RICO 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       223 

religious  and  social  elevation.  After  such  a  remark- 
able advance  during  the  past  ten  years,  and  with 
such  a  splendid  condition  existing  to-day,  we  should 
rightfully  expect  the  near  future  to  be  heavy  with 
enlargement  and  permanent  progress.  The  next 
few  years  will  witness  unprecedented  progress  along 
educational  and  industrial  lines.  But  what  will  be 
the  religious,  the  social,  and  the  moral  condition  of 
Porto  Rico  to-morrow?  This  question  is  of  the 
most  vital  interest  to  Christ  and  to  his  Church,  The 
answer  will  in  part  depend  upon  the  movements  of 
government,  upon  educational  advance,  and  upon  in- 
dustrial prosperity.  But  with  all  these  outward  con- 
ditions and  above  them  the  answer  to  this  question 
will  depend  upon  the  loyal  sacrifice  and  activity  of 
the  Christian  forces  of  America  to-day.  Will  we 
provide  a  sufficient  leadership  and  a  sufficient  work- 
ing plant?  This  is  the  immediate  demand  upon 
American  Christianity.  We  have  heroic  and  conse- 
crated and  efficient  workers  on  the  firing  line.  Will 
we  support  them?  Our  answer  to  this  will  deter- 
mine the  to-morrow  of  Porto  Rico. 

The  Goal  a  Paradise  Regained.  The  sad  and 
desolate  yesterday,  the  ripe  and  hopeful  to-day,  with 
all  the  varied  activities  enlisted  in  our  home  churches 
as  well  as  on  the  field  itself,  prophesy  an  intelligent 
and  Christian  Porto  Rico  to-morrow.  The  end  is 
one  devoutly  to  be  wished,  devotedly  to  be  worked 
for,  determinedly  to  be  accomplished.  American 
Christians  of  to-day  have  it  in  their  power,  with  the 
divine  approval,  to  bring  it  to  pass  that  this  fair 


224     ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

garden  of  Porto  Rico  in  the  southern  seas  shall  be 
a  "Paradise  Regained."  Already,  in  both  Cuba  and 
Porto  Rico,  the  new  era  of  civil  and  religious  lib- 
erty has  begun,  and  the  missionaries  of  the  cross  are 
making  conquest  for  Christ.  As  a  result  of  our 
study,  shall  we  not  assure  them  that  they  will  not 
lack  adequate  support. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  VII 

Aim  :      To    Realize   the   Failure   of   Roman    Catholicism 
AND  the  Success  of  Pkotestant  Christianity 

1.  Why  does  the  Roman  Church  not  permit  religious 
freedom  when  she  can  prevent  it? 

2.  Would  you  permit  the  propagation  of  Buddhism  in 
this  country  if  you  could?     State  reasons. 

3.  Would  you  as  a  Protestant  prevent  other  denomina- 
tions from  entering  sections  of  the  country  that 
were  occupied  by  your  denomination? 

4.  Was  there  anything  to  prevent  the  Roman  Church 
from  carrying  out  its  highest  ideals  for  the  uplift 
of  the  Porto  Ricans? 

5.  What  are  your  principal  reasons  for  believing  in 
the  separation  of  Church  and   State? 

6.  Is  the  failure  of  400  years  sufficient  to  warrant  the 
entrance  of  other  agencies? 

7.  AMiat  should  be  done  with  religious  leaders  who  are 
unfaithful  to  the  Church  vows  like  the  priests  of 
Porto  Rico? 

8.  Should  the  Church  be  held  responsible  for  the  con- 
duct of  its  priests? 

9.  Can  you  defend  the  exorbitant  marriage  fee?  exacted 
by  the  priests?     Give  reasons. 


^ 


THE  MISSIONARY  OUTLOOK       225 

10.  Why  has  the  Roman  Church  appealed  to  the  people 
through  superstition?  Example,  "The  Church  of  Our 
Lady  of  Monserrate." 

11.  To  what  extent  should  the  Church  he  held  respon- 
sible for  the  continuation  of  immoral  sports  and  Sab- 
bath-breaking ? 

12.  Do  you  approve  of  the  attitude  of  Bishop  Blenk  to- 
ward Protestant  missionary  effort? 

13.  What  do  you  think  the  Roman  Church  means  to  most 
of  the  Porto  Ricans? 

14.  What  form  of  missionary  work  do  you  believe  will 
be  the  most  successful  in  Porto  Rico?  Give  rea- 
sons. 

15.  Can  the  Church  neglect  any  one  of  these  forms  and 
accomplish  its  task? 

16.  What  do  you  consider  the  greatest  difficulties  in  mis- 
sionary effort  at  the  present  time  in  Porto  Rico  ? 

17.  Do  you  believe  it  is  an  aid  to  have  the  influence  of 
the  United  States  government  in  favor  of  missionary 
work? 

'V'i8.     Sum    up    what    you    consider    the    achievements    of 
Protestant   missions   in    Porto    Rico. 

19.  Sum  up  what  you  consider  the  most  hopeful  features 
of  the  work. 

20.  Sum  up  what  you  consider  the  obligation  resting 
upon  Protestant  Christians. 

21.  What  do  you  consider  your  responsibility  in  view  of 
this  study? 


REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 
CHAPTER  VIP 

Roman  Cafliolicisiu. 

Fowles,  Down  in   Porto  Rico,  V. 


I.  For  the  most  recent  material  on  missions  in  Porto  Rico 
The  Missionary  Review  of  the  World  and  the  denommational 
missionary  magazines  should  be  consulted. 


226      ADVANCE    IN    THE    ANTILLES 

Van  Middcldyk,  The  History  of  Puerto  Rico,  XXXVII. 

Education. 

Dinwiddie,   Puerto  Rico,  XVIII. 

Fowles,  Down   in  Porto  Rico,  TV. 

Seabury,   Porto  Rico,  XVI. 

Van    Middeklyk,    The    History    of    Puerto    Rico,    XXXV, 
XXXVI. 
Outlook. 

Forbes-Lindsay,  "The  Land  of  Promise,"  World  To-day, 
March,    1908. 

Rowe,  The  United  States  and   Porto  Rico,  XV. 

Wilson,  Political  Development  of  Porto  Rico,  XIX. 


APPENDIXES 


227 


APPENDIX   A 

Aids  to  the  Pronunciation  of  Spanish  Words 

Vowel   sounds  :  a  =^  ah;  e^a;   i  =  e;  o^^oh ;  u  =  oo. 
Consonants  as  in  English,  except  the  following: 

g,  as  in  give  before  a,  o,  u ;  like  h  before  e  and  i. 

h,  not  sounded,  save  as   mere  breathing. 

c,  has  th  sound  as  in  thin  in  good  Spanish,  but  ordinary 
c  sound  in  Cuban   dialect  and  common  speech. 

//,   same   as   in    French;   brilla  =  breel-yah. 

n,  like   French  gn;   sueno  =  soo-ayn'-yo. 

ch,   as   in   c/iarity  ;    machete  =  mah-chay'-teh. 

z   final,   in    Spanish,   like   th  in   thin;   commonly   in    Cuba 
and  Porto  Rico  has  the  sound  of  s. 

y,  before  a  vowel  is   like  a  soft  ;'. 

Prcnunciaticn  cf   Cuban   Names  and  Words 

Key.  ah  pronounced  like  a  in  far;  ay  like  a  in  say;   eh  as 
in  met ;  ee  as  e  in  me;  o  as  in  tone ;  oo  as  in  ooze. 


229 


APPENDIX   B 

Interestixg    Facts    for    Reference    Drawn    F20m    the 
Census  of   1907 

ropulaticn   by    provinces 

Pinal   de4    Rio    240,370 

Habana 538,010 

Matanzas    239,813 

Santa    Clara    457431 

Camaguey    1 18,269 

Oriente 455.a?o 

Total    2,048,980 

BY   SEX,   RACES,  AND   NATIONALITY 

Male  Female 

Kative    white    ^^03,597  615,943 

Foreign    white    163.014  40,632 

Negro    133655  140,617 

"Mixed    races    ^57-97S  ^7^,7^0 

Mongolians     11. 641  196 

Total    1,074,882  974.098 

Excess  of  males,  100,784,  mostly  Spanish.     Colored  popula- 
tion 30.28  per  cent,  of  the  whole ;  white  69.70  per  cent, 
230 


APPENDIX  B 


231 


POPULATION'    ACCORDING    TO    BIRTH 

Cuba 1,820,239 

Spain    185.393 

United    States     6,713 

China    11,217 

Africa     9-943 

Unknown    264 

Other  places    17,206 

Total    2,048,980 

POPULATION   BV   SEX    AXD   AGE 

Males  Females 

Less  than  5  years   173.657  168.995 

From    5  to  17   272,585  268,860 

From  18  to  20   77,001  76.145 

From  21  to  44    398.647  328.259 

From  45   up    152.992  131.839 

Total     1,074,882  974.098 

INCREASE   FROM    I774    tO    I9O7 

1774 171,620 

1792 282,300 

1817 572,363 

1827 704.487 

184I 1,007,624 

1861 1.396,530 

1877 i,509.2'9i 

1887 1,631,687 

1889 1,572.797 

1907 2,048,980 

The    voting   population    numbers    420,576.      Of   the   430,514 
claiming  Cuban  citizenship,  212,930  were  literate  and  217,584 


22,2  APPENDIX  B 

illiterate,  while  6,322  of  the  total  had  received  academic  and 
professional  degrees,  and  of  these  5,559  were  native  Cubans. 
Of  the  illiterates,  121,856  were  Cuban  whites,  8,891  were 
Spanish  born,  and  86,640  were  colored. 

The  general  increase  every  ten  years  in  all  countries  is 
25  per  cent.  Cuba  shows  increase  of  476,183,  or  30.28  per 
cent.,  in  eight  years.  The  province  with  greatest  increase 
in  population  is  Pinar  del  Rio,  with  Oriente  second.  This 
is  especially  good  missionary  ground. 


THINGS    WORTH    KNOWING 

Total    area,    square   miles    44.164 

Uncleared    forests,    acres     13,000,000 

Native  plants    catalogued    3-350 

Species   of   native   birds    200 

Cattle    (in   1906)    2.579,492 

Increase  in  four  years   of  independence    1,579,630 

Horses    (in    1906)    402,461 

Increase   in   four  years    234,528 

Annual  production  of  honey,  gallons   470,000 

Annual  production  of  wa.--:,  pounds   775,000 

Production  of  tobacco  in  1907,  Spanish  pounds..  109,562,400 

Production  of  coffee   in    1907,  pounds    6,595,700 

Production  of  cacao  in   1907,   Spanish  pounds....  9.380.900 

\'alue  of  orange  crop,  pesos    (96  cents)    3,000,000 

Value   of   pineapple   crop,   pesos    1,000,000 

Production    of   plantain,    kilograms    120,000,000 

Yearly    consumption    rice    (imported)    pounds....  100,000,000 

Government    owned    forests,    acres    1,226,454 

Provinces    6 

Municipalities    $2 

Mavana,    population    300,003 

Sugar    farms    186 

Sugar   production,    1908,   tons    1,444,310 

Molasses  and   sirups  produced,  g-iHoiis    46.745.736 

\'alue   of  sugar  crops  and  productions    $73.^,899 


APPENDIX  B  2y<, 

Value  of  sugar,  sirups,  and  liquors  exported,  1907.  $70,826464 

Number  of  telegraph  stations    ^^5 

Telegraph   lines   in  operation,   kilometers    6,196 

Post-offices     415 

Total  exports,  1907  $114,812,846 

Total   imports,    1907    $97,334,i9o 

Immigration,    1907    29,57:? 

Asylums,    charitable    ^  ^ 

Inmates  thereof    ^'^9o 

Hospitals     50 

Patients   therein    S.QOO 

Steam   railroad,   mileage    ^-329 

Schoolhouses 2,149 

School-teachers    ^'^-^^ 

Pupils    registered     122,214 

Average  daily  attendance   (78.8  per  cent.)    90,301 

Average  height  of  Cuban  men,  5  feet  and  5  inches. 
The   number   of   married   persons   in    1907    v\-as   423.537,    or 
20.7  per  cent,  of  the  population ;  in  1841  only  8  per  cent. 

The  number  of  consensually  married  persons  (without 
Church  ceremony)   was  1/6,495,  or  13.6  per  cent. 

The  number  of  wage-earners  was  772.502,  or  37.7  per  cent. 
The  female  wage-earners  numbered  73,520  of  this  total. 
The  occupations  show:  Farmers  and  farm  laborers,  267,- 
931;  merchants,  50,856;  day  laborers,  42,358;  servants,  39.- 
312;  salesmen,  32,374;  cigarmakers,  27,503 1  clerks,  26,483; 
launderers,  25,533;  carpenters,  21,422;  masons,  12,163;  dray- 
men and  coachmen,  10,199;  seamstresses,  9-470;  policemci 
and  soldiers,  8,238;  mechanics,  7,9i7;  shoemakers,  6,848; 
bakers,  6,162;  teachers,  5,964;  tailors,  5,112;  bankers,  brokers, 
capitalists,  and  financiers,  2,792;  lawyers,  i,349;  physicians  and 
surgeons,  1,243,  etc. 

The  total  number  of  occupied  dwellings  in  1907  was  350,- 
830.     Average  number  of  persons  to  a  dwelling.  5-8. 

The  Isle  of  Pines  is  a  municipality  of  Havana  province, 
has  1,200  square  miles,  a  population  of  3.276.  of  whom  43S 
were   Americans,  engaged  in  cultivating  citrus   fruits. 


234  APPENDIX  B 

United  States  currency  is  the  offici.-l  money  of  Cuba.  The 
coin  in  common  use  is  the  peso,  or  Spanish  dollar,  equal  to 
85  cents  American  money;  dos  pesetas  (half  dollar),  una 
peseta  (20  cents,  equivalent  to  our  quarter)  ;  iin  real  (ten 
cent  piece),  and  medio  real  (five  cent  piece  or  nickel.)  There 
are  copper  centavos  (cents)  and  2-centavo  pieces.  Exchange 
American  for  Spanish  coin,  or  you  will  lose  in  shopping  and 
small  dealings,  as  a  quarter  will  be  taken  for  the  peseta  (20 
cents),  and  no  change  be  given. 


APPENDIX   C 

MARRIAGE   RESTRICTIONS    AND    ROMAN    CATHOLIC    CHURCH    ACQUI- 
SITION    OF     PROPERTY 

In  response  to  my  question  as  to  the  social  and  moral 
conditions  in  Cuba,  an  American  missionary  of  culture  and 
breadth,  kindly  furnished  this  enlightening  statement,  which 
can  be  relied  upon,  and  shows  what  the  missionaries  have 
to  meet : 

"In  days  gone  by,  when  Spain  and  Catholicism  had  abso- 
lute power,  the  price  for  a  marriage  ceremony  was  $51  cash 
in  advance.  The  citizens  were  kept  in  perpetual  poverty  by 
those  in  power,  fo  that  it  was  impossible  for  any  of  the 
poorer  class  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  a  marriage  ceremony. 
Very  early  in  the  history  of  tlie  island,  began  the  custom  of 
taking  a  woman  for  a  companion,  with  whom  some  men 
continued  to  live  until  death,  while  others  remained  true 
until  a  more  attractive  woman  presented  herself,  when  a 
separation  would  take  place  and  each  seek  another  mate. 
Such  is  the  condition  to-day.  True,  it  is  contrary  to  the 
laws  of  the  country,  but  these  laws  are  not  recognized.  I 
know  of  one  woman  who  has  eleven  children,  each  by  a  dif- 
ferent father.  And  the  most  deplorable  thing  is  the  fact 
that  such  practise  is  not  considered  immoral.  The  judge  of 
a  rural  district  lives  with  a  qticrido  (concubine),  and  it  was 
necessary  to  exclude  him  from  the  Church  for  such  action. 
I  married  a  man  who  had  been  living  twenty-six  years  with 
a  woman,  and  they  have  seven  children.  It  was  a  rather 
strange  sight  for  a  child  to  see  his  father  and  mother 
married! 

"Red  tape  is  necessary  in  Cuba  for  legal  marriage.     A  man 
may  live  illegally  with  a  woman  and  the  law  will  not  molest 
him.      But   should   a   man   desire   to   live  like   a   Christian  in 
235 


236  APPENDIX  C 

regard  to  matrimony,  it  is  necessary  for  him  first  to  make 
out  a  Soliciiud  de  Matrimonio,  which  he  presents  to  the 
minister.  The  minister  then  makes  out  an  Edicto,  which  he 
posts  on  the  church  door  for  two  weeks,  sends  a  copy  to 
the  secretary,  to  the  judge,  and  if  either  of  the  two  con- 
tracting persons  have  lived  within  two  years  past  outside  of 
the  place  where  the  ceremony  is  to  be  performed,  a  copy 
must  be  sent  to  each  place.  After  two  weeks  all  of  the 
Edictos  must  be  returned  by  the  minister,  signed  by  the 
secretary  and  certified  that  there  has  been  no  objecting  filed; 
the  minister  then  makes  a  visit  to  the  home  of  the  parents 
of  the  bride  and  groom,  if  either  is  under  age,  to  witness 
the  signature  of  the  parents  to  a  Consentimicnto  para 
menores  (consent  by  minors).  But  if  it  happens  that  t\\t 
father  or  mother  of  either  minor  has  died,  it  is  necessary  to 
get  a  written  document  certifying  to  the  death.  The  min- 
ister next  proceeds  to  make  out  the  Acta  Matrimonial,  and 
the  CertiUcado  de  Matrimonio,  which  m.ust  be  signed  by  him, 
the  bride,  the  groom,  and  two  witnesses  who  make  a  sworn 
statement  that  all  contained  in  all  the  papers  is  true.  The 
marriage  service  may  now  be  performed.  The  minister  must 
take  all  of  the  papers  together  with  a  dollar  and  a  half  to 
the  secretary  to  the  judge,  who  smiles  as  he  tells  you  tliat  if 
there  are  any  errors  he  will  send  for  you.  In  case  there  are 
errors,  the  minister  is  liable  to  a  five-hundred-dollar  fine  and 
one  year  in  jail.  Thus  far  I  am  out  of  jail.  The  minister, 
if  he  is  careful,  can  get  money  enough  from  the  groom  to  pay 
the  dollar  and  a  half.  The  missionaries  make  no  charge, 
neither  receive  money,  for  performing  a  marriage  service." 

ROMISH     METHODS 

What  the  Catholic  regime  did  in  tiie  little  city  of  Bayamo, 
birthplace  of  President  Palma,  an  American  resident  tells 
as  follows   in  a  letter  sent  recently  to  the   author: 

"Bayamo  is  now  a  city  of  about  5.000  inhabitants,  and 
very  few  habitable  houses.     In   1868  it  was  a  city  of  20,000, 


APPENDIX  C  2Z7 

with  more  than  2,000  really  beautiful  houses.  There  were 
then  twelve  Catholic  churches;  now  there  is  one  old  dilapi- 
dated building  that  a  good  American  farmer  would  not  keep 
stock  in.  What  happened?  When  the  Catholics  and  Spain 
were  in  power,  persecution  prevailed.  When  a  man  was 
Hearing  death,  the  priest  was  called,  who  first  iiinuired  what 
the  man  had  left  to  the  Church.  Before  he  would  grant 
absolution,  the  man  must  give  him  a  mortgage  for  a  thou- 
sand dollars,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  value  of  the 
man's  property.  This  mortgage  bore  five  per  cent,  interest 
and  was  held  by  the  Church.  Largely  as  a  result  of  this 
kind  of  oppression  war  broke  out,  with  Bayamo  as  the  center. 
At  that  time  every  house  in  the  city  was  mortgaged  to  the 
Church.  When  the  Spanish  troops  marched  against  the  city, 
the  patriots,  rather  than  leave  their  property  for  the  priests, 
ransacked  the  churches,  brought  out  and  burned  tlie  mort- 
gages in  the  plaza,  and  then  set  fire  to  their  homes,  burning 
them  to  the  ground." 


APPENDIX   D 

FOPULATION    OF    FCRTO    RICO 


Total 

Date.  Population. 

180-; 163,192 

1.812 183,014 

1820 230,622 

1827 302,672 

1830 323,838 

1836 357,086 

i860 583308 

1877 731,648 

1887 798.565 

1897 980.911 

1899 953,243 


Percentage. 

Col- 

Col- 

White. 

ored. 

White. 

ored. 

78,281 

84.911 

4S 

52 

85,662 

97,352 

46.8 

53-2 

102,432 

128,190 

444 

55.6 

150,311 

162,361 

497 

50.3 

162.3 1 1 

161.527 

50.1 

49-9 

188,869 

168,217 

52.9 

47.1 

300,406 

282,775 

51-5 

48.5 

411,712 

319.936 

56.3 

437 

474.933 

323^32 

59-5 

40.5 

573,187 

317.724 

64.3 

357 

589,426 

3^3,^17 

61.8 

38.2 

238 


APPENDIX   E 


BIBLIOGRAFHY 


This  is  not  an  exhaustive  list  of  books  on  Cuba  and  Porto 
Rico.  No  books  in  foreign  language  have  been  included,  and 
most  of  the  books  of  the  war  period  are  also  omitted.  The 
arrangement   is    alphabetical,   according   to    authors. 

Cuba 
Ballou,  M.  M.     Due  South.     1885...  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co., 
New  York.     $1.50. 

Although   written   in    1885,   it   is    still    one   of   the   best 
descriptions  of  conditions  under  the  old  regime. 
Cuba   (Governmental)  :  Cuban  affairs.     United  States  Super- 
intendent  of   Documents,    Washington,    D.    C. 
Last   census   boiled   down;   informing. 
Cuba :    Population,  History,  and   Resources,    1907.      Compiled 
by   Victor    H.    Olmstead.     United    States    Superintendent 
of  Documents,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Davis,  Richard  H.     The  Cuban  and  Porto  Rican   Campaign. 
1898.     Charles   Scribner's   Sons,   New   York.     $1.50. 
An  account  of  the  military  campaign  in  the  two  islands. 
Fiske,  A.  K.     The  West  Indies.     igo6.     G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons, 
New  York.     $1.50. 
Contains    several    excellent    chapters   on   Cuba. 
Hill,  Robert  T.     Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.     1898.     Century  Com- 
pany,   New  York.     $3.00. 

A  comprehensive  study  of  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  the 
neighbor  islands. 
Magoon,  Charles  E.,  Provisional  Governor,  Republic  of  Cuba. 
Report  of  the  Provisional  Administration  from  Decem- 
ber I,  1907,  to  December  i,  1908.  Rambla  &  Bonza,  Ha- 
vana. 

239 


240  APPENDIX  E 

Magoon,  Charles  E.,  Provisional  Governor,  Republic  of  Cuba. 

Annual  Report  to  the  Secretary  of  War,   1907.     Govern- 
ment  Printing  Ofifice,   Washington. 
Norton,  A.  J.     Handbook  of  Havana  and  Cuba.     Rand,  Mc- 

Nally  &  Co.,  New  York.     $1.00. 
Pepper,     C.     M.       To-viorrozv    in     Cuba.       1899.       Harper    & 

Brothers,   New    York.     ^2.co. 

The    best   book    of   its    period.      Discusses    in    readable 

form    the    conditions    just    preceding    American    occupa- 
tion up  to  the  date  of  publication. 
Porter,  Rol)ert   P.     Industrial  Cuba.     i3og.     G.    P.    Putnam's 

Sons,   New  York.     $3.50. 

As  the  title  indicates,  this  is  a  discussion  of  economic 

conditions. 
Report   of   the    Committee   on   Foreign    Relations,    Reative    to 

Affairs     in    Cuba,     1S98.       Government     Printing     Office, 

Washington. 

An   illuminating   document   setting  forth   t^'.e   results   of 

an  investigation  of  affairs  in  Cuba  that  led  to  American 

intervention. 
Reynolds,  Charles  B.     Standard  Guide  to  Cuba.     1905.     Fos- 
ter &  Reynolds,  New  York.     Paper,  50  cents,  net. 
Robinson,    Albert    G.      Cuba    and    the    Intervention.      1905. 

Longmans,  Green  &  Co.,  New  York.     $1.80. 

One   of  the   most   recent  books  treating  the  causes   of 

discontent   and   the  political   development  to   the   date  of 

issue. 
Steele,  J.  W.     Cuban  Sketclies.     G.   P.   Putnam's  Sons,  New 

York.      (Out    of   print.) 

A  capital  description  of  the  people  and  life  before  the 

war. 
Wade,  N.  U.     Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin.     1502.     L.  C.  Page  &: 

Co.,  Boston.     60  cents. 
The  story  of  two  little  children,  written  especially  for 

children,  but  containing  valuable  information   for  adults. 


APPENDIX  E  241 

Porto  Rico 

Affairs  in  Porto   Rico.     Message   from  the   President,  invit- 
ing   the    attention    of    Congress    to    legislative    difficulties 
in    Porto    Rico,    -wiih.    accompanying   papers    and    recom- 
mendations and  amendments  to  Foraker  Act,  June,   1909. 
United    States    Superintendent    of    Documents,    Washing- 
ton. 
Carroll,    Henry    K.      (Special    Commiissioner    of   the    United 
States  for  Porto  Rico.)     Report  of  the  Island   of  Porto 
Rico.     Washington,  D.  C.     1899.     Pp.  832. 
Davis,  Brig.-Gen.  G.  W.     Puerto  Rico.     Reports  of  General 
Davis   as    Military   Governor  of    Porto    Rico.      Washing- 
ton.    1901. 
Davis,  Richard  H.     The  Cuban  and  Porto  Rican  Campaign. 
1898.      Charles    Scribner's    Sons,    New    York.      $1.50. 
The  title  describes  the  book  fully. 
Decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Porto  Rico,  and  dissent- 
ing in  the  case  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Apostolic  Church 
vs.  the  people  of  Porto  Rico,  May,   1909.     United   States 
Superintendent  of  Documents,  Washington. 
Dinwiddle,  William.     Puerto  Rico:  lis  Conditions  and  Possi- 
bilities.    1899.     Harper  &  Brothers,  New  York.     $2.50. 

A   sane  treatment  of  the  island  with  reference  to   so- 
cial,  industrial,  religious,  and  political  conditions. 
Fewkes,  Jesse  W.     The  Aborigines  of  Porto  Rico  and  Neigh- 
boring Islands.     Twenty-fifth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bu- 
reau   of    American    Ethnology    to    the    Secretary    of    the 
Smithsonian   Institute,   Washington,    1907. 
Fewkes,  Jesse  W.     Prehistoric  Porto  Rico.     Proceedings  of 
the  American   Association   for  the   Advancement  of   Sci- 
ence.    Fifty-first  meeting,    1902.     Pp.   447-512. 
Fowles,  George   M.     Down  in  Porto  Rico.     1906.     Eaton  Sz 
Mains,  New   York.     75  cents,  net. 

The   only   book    v.ith    a    missionary    flavor,    written   by 
one  who  gathered  his   material   at  first  hand. 


242 


APPENDIX  E 


Hill,  Robert  T.  (Of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Sur%-ey.)  Cuba 
and  Porto  Rico.  189S.  Century  Company,  New  York. 
$300. 

Chapters  XV-XIX  are  devoted  to  the  physical  fea- 
tures, history,  government,  economics,  people,  and  cities 
of  Porto  Rico. 

Ober,  Frederick   A.     Puerto   Rico   and  Its  Resources.     1899. 
D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York.     $1.50.     (Out  of  print.) 
A  splendid  survey  of  the   island  people  and  the   com- 
mercial possibilities. 

Robinson,  Albert  G.  The  Porto  Rico  of  To-day.  1899. 
Charles    Scribner's    Sons,    New    York.      $1.50. 

Pen  pictures  of  the  people  and  the  country,  written 
by  a  reporter  of  the  New  York  Evening  Post.  It  is 
almost  a  guide  book  of  the  island,  an  economic  treatise, 
and  a  hand-book  of  military  science.  It  combines  narra- 
tive and  description  in  an  interesting  and  authoritative 
manner. 

Rowe,  L.  S.  The  United  States  and  Porto  Rico.  1904. 
Longmans,   Green   &  Co.,   New   York.     $1.30.  net. 

This  is  a  book  which  gives  special  treatment  of  the 
problems  arising  out  of  our  contact  with  the  Spanish- 
American  civilization.  A  scholarly  and  authoritative 
book. 

Seabury,    Joseph    P..      Porto    Rico:    The    Land    of    the   Rich 
Port.      1903.      Silver,    Burdctt    &    Co.,    New    York.      50 
cents. 
A  brief  hand-book  packed  with  useful  information. 

Thorpe,  Francis  N.  The  Government  of  the  People  of  Porto 
Rico.  1903.  Hinds,  Noble  &  Eldredge.  Philadelphia. 
50  cents. 

A  course  in  civil  government  based  on  the  govern- 
ment of  the  people  of  the  United   States. 

Van  Middeldyk,  R.  A.  A  History  of  Porto  Rico.  1903.  D. 
Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York.     $1.25,  net. 

The  first  history  in  English  of  Porto  Rico.  It  is  a 
history    drawn    from    original    sources,    scholarly,    and    at 


APPENDIX  E  243 

the  same  time   interesting.     It   is  one  of  the  bc^t  books 

written  on  Porto  Rico. 
Wade,  N.  H.     Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin.     1902.     L.  C. 

Page  &  Co.,  Boston.     60  cents. 
A  dchghtful  story  of  two   Porto   Rican   children. 
Wilson,   Edward    S.     Political  Development    of   Porto   Rico. 

Fred  J.  Heer,  Columbus,  Ohio.     1905.     $1.00. 
An    interesting    report   upon    the    political    situation    in 

Porto   Rico   made   by   one    who   has  personal   and   direct 

knowledge. 


APPENDIX    F 


STATISTICS   OF   PROTESTANT 

(Compiled  by  Direct  CoRnEs."ONDE 


a 

L 
ll 

.0 

Foreign  Missionauies 
INCIUDIKO   PavsiriANS 

.3 

Stations 

NAME   OF   SOCIETIES 

"2 

3 

'3 

ll 

1 

a 

u 

>. 

■1         11 

*Americ^u  Baptist  Home  Mission  Soc. 

American  Bible  Society 

♦American  Friends'  Board  of  F.  Miss.  . 
*Boardof  Home  Miss.,Presb.Ch.  U.S.A. 
Board  of  Miss,  of  the  M.  E.  Ch.,  South 
Domestic  and  For.  Mis.s.  Soc,  P.  E.  Ch. 
Exec.  Com.  of  For.  Mis8.,Presb.Ch.,U.S. 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society. . 
Home  Mission  Board,  So.  Bapt.  Conv. 

1909-10 
190S 
1909 

1909-10 

1909 

1908-9 

1909 

1909 

1909-10 

1899 
18S2 
1900 
1901 
1898 
1898 
1890 
1903 
1886 

7 
1 
5 

14 

7 
5 
1 
2 

1 

7 

6 

26 
1.5 
6 
13 
31 
31 
8 
3 
72 

21          08 

1 

4 
4 
12 

1 
5 
1 
2 

5 
8 

"ll' 
4 

4' 

6  11 

5  ;    11 

12   ' 

7  \       41 
5  1          2 

l|          3 

Woman's  For.  Miss.  Soc.  M.  E.  Ch.  So. 

1909 

1900 

1 

4 

10 

! 

47 

15   1     36 

42 

215 

57  1      Wl 

1 

♦Includes  Women's  Work. 


STATISTICS   OF    PROTESTANT 

(Compiled  by  Direct  Correspoxdenc: 


1 

o 

i 

FOREIG.V    MlSSIONARinS 

INCLUDING  Physicians 

1 

Stations     1 

NAME   OF   SOCIETIES 

1 

1 

Is 

pis 

s 
c  = 

1    II 

£.2^1     1 

♦American  Rapti.-^t  Home  Mi.ss.  Soc.  .  . 

1909-10 
1908 

1908-9 
1909 

1909-10 
1909 
1903 
1909 
1909 
1909 

1899 
1808 
1S98 
1900 
1899 
1900 
1000 
1808 
1809 
1001 
1000 
1907 
1809 
1001 
1900 

5 

1 
6 
13 
11 
3 
1 
7 
4 
3 

7 

3 

27 

9 
50 
34 
6 
8 
S 

'1 

17   1       73 

♦American  Missionary  Association 

Brd  of  Home  Miss  and  Ch.  Ext.,M.E.Ch 
^*Board  of  Home  Miss..Presb.Ch.  U.S.A. 
'Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions. 

Ch.  of  Jesus'.  Work  unrier  a  Conv.  Cath.) 

Domestic  ai:!  For.  Miss.  Soc.  P.  E.  Ch. 

*ForeiKn  Mi.-^s.  Soc.  U.  B.  in  Christ... 

♦Mission  Board  of  the  Christian  Church 

6 

■■■2 



::;;: 

1 

13 
3 

1 
2 
4 
2 

10 

20 
3 

""<S 

1 
1 
3 

ir. 
10 

1 

2 

4 
4 
3 

12 

■.\l 
U 

P.  R.  Miss.  Assoc,  of  Friends  of  Phila. 
C.en'l  Coun.  Ev.  Luth.  Ch.  in  U.S.A..  . 

1909 
1909 

••        1            1 

1 

1  ^ 

4 

25 
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3 
5 
3 

5 

\\'»n^<>n'.i   TTi.nio    Vliuu     Snc        M      F.     Ch     10(10     10 

1 

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57 

9  1     49  1       03 

203 

75 

453 



♦Includes  Women's  Work. 


244 


MISSIONS    IN    CUBA 

WITH    MidbiON    P.OAHDS) 


Native  Con- 

STITUBNtY 

EDUCATIONAL 

MEDICAL 

a  r, 

o  S 

i 

III 

III 

1 

2 

li 

II 

l.sg 

II 

5.S 

.  1 

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2,218 

42 

1.031 

2 

120 

2 

130 

■■'1 

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3,nC0 

200 
050 

11 
20 
48 
19 
10 
4 
20 

533 
1 ,500 
L^2()2 
945 
53S 
200 

4 

4 

1 

12 

4 

174 
400 
134 

193 

j 

1 

1   100 

3,203 
701 

1 

ii7 

1 

■::::i::::: 

1 

400 

1.325 

1 

75 

....:  ::::: 

2 

200 

50 

1 

10 

9^1  ~ 

:,760 

1S2 

G.549 

27 

1,699 

4 

372 

1 

10 

1 

1 

MISSIONS   IN   PORTO   RICO 

^viTii  J\    ssiON  Boards) 


N.VITA 
STlTi; 

:  CoN-- 

JNCT 

EDUCATIONAL 

MEDICAL 

3 
u3 

d^  a 

III 

11 

U.Sj 

III 

1 
1 

P 

li 

1 
II 

■i  E 

|| 

0 

III 
lit 

0 

lit 

1,923 

47 

1,984 

1 

30 

50 1 

5,0(X)' 

85 
25 
4 

038 
5,007 
1,002 

195 

1 
13 
7 
4 

159 

1,000 

927 

175 

1 

5,500 

2 
2 

2,000 

2.528 

1 

24 

2 

1 

24,000 

1 

40 

I 

470 

i'.ooo' 

23 
8 

670 

1,273 

465 

4 

406 

1 

1 
2 

217 

871 
130 

1      . 

.     1 

1 

1 
8 
5 

1 



2 

1 

l.COO 

241 

600 
176 

550 
284 
400 

1 

69 

i        3 

324 

4 

350 

1 

1 

50 

1 

13,255 

7,370 

220 

13,158 

35 

3,116 

2|       27 

3 

90 

2 

3 

8  j  27,817 

INDEX 


Abbott,    Lyman,    quoted,    158, 

159 
Abolition  of  slavery,   19,   145 
Adams,   J.    IM.,  quoted,  66 


Baptists,  Southern,  mission 
work   in  Cuba,   104,    107 

Baracoa  (Bah-rah-ko'-ah), 

Cuba's  first  town,    11 

Barkley,  Anna  M.,   11 


209 

Baseball,   189,   190 
Bayamo      (Bah-yah'-mo),      1 1, 

103 
Beet-sugar,  40 
Bible,  the,  as  a  mission  force, 

119,    122.    125,    129,   215 
Bill   of   Rights,   Gen.    Wood's, 

35 


Adams,  J.   Q.,   referred   to,   25  ^^Jii^^'  ^-  ^^  Quoted,  138,  196^ 

Aguada  (Ah-gwah'-dah),  141 

Aguadilla     (Ah-gwah-dee'- 
lyah),    139,    140,  213 

Aibonito         (Eye-bohn-ee'-to) 
Pass,   187 

Alfonso,    Dr.,   74 

Amecican   influence   and   inter- 
est in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico, 

18-28,    31,    50,    68,    146,    164,  Tj,     ,     D-  ,               .    . 

168,    175-177.    183-185,    191 ;  g^^"'''  ^'|^.'°P'  ^"°*^^'  2'° 

Protestant   missionary   work,  :S°    '^n'    ^™?"'    ^7 

28,    43,    104,    132,    188,    202,  Bonsall,   Stephen,   25 

203    208-2-'4  Boriquen    (Boh-ree-cane'),   140 

Amerkanizing   of    Porto    Rico,  g^^Sf^  ^uilt,  37,    I59 

183     184     191  British   occupation    of    western 

Americans' in  Cuba.  13,  17,  21,  ^uba.  13 ;  possibilities  of  per- 

2  7    26    27    68    88  manent   control,    13 

Am'usements    aAd    games,    87,  Brooke,  Maj.-Gen.  John  R.,  35, 

88,  189,  191  B  ^5^             J 

Anglican      churches      in     pre-  Buchanan,    James,    on    Cuban 

American  Porto  Rico,  204  ^annexation,  32 

Arecibo    (Ah-ray-see'-bo),    176  g"S^f',  ^""'^2   ^'^° ''  ^'^ 

Attacks   on   Cuba,   12  Bull-fights    88 

Automobile,  the,   169,   184,   187  Brumbaugh,     M.     G.,     quoted, 

'       '  168,  196 

B  Burial,   temporary,   92 

Bahama  Islands,  5,  13  Burrows,       Senator,       address 

Ballajo    Barracks,    182  quoted,  40 

Ballou,    M.    M.,   70 

Bananas,    59,    174  C^ 

Baptists,      Northern,      mission  Cabana,   89 

work  in  Cuba,  104;  in  Porto  Cabrera,  R.,  quoted,  32,  70 

Rico,   104  Cadiz,  Spain,  14,  139 

247 


248 


INDEX 


California,  Italy  and  Cuba  com- 
pared in  length,  53 
Camaguey      ( Kah-mah-gway' ) , 
city,    II,   89;    province    (for- 
rnerly    Puerto    Principe),    9, 
19 
Campaign  of   1898,   148 
Campos,  Gov.-gen.,  20 
Candler,  Bishop  W.  A.,  128 
Caparra.    141 
Cape,    Maysi,    9,    51,    54;    San 

Antonio,   52 
Captain-general's   powers,    16 
Care-free  Cubans,  71,  86,  93 
Carey,     William,     referred    to, 

125 
Caribbean  Sea,  52 
Caribs,  the,   140 
Carolina  (Cahr-o-leen'-ah),  176 
Carroll,  H.  K.,  140,  177,  198 
Castellanos,  Jorge,  address  by, 

116-118 
Castle,    Lieutenant,    150 
Cat   Island,  5 
Cathedral,    the,    at    Havana,   8, 

91 ;   at   Santiago,  79 
Cemetery  monuments,  91 
Censorship,  strict,   16 
Census,     Cuban,     38,     39,     68; 

Porto    Rican,    177 
Cervera,  Admiral,  27 
Cespedes,  Carlos  Manuel,  19 
Children,    large    proportion    to 
population,  78,   191  ;  many  go 
naked,  81,   171,   173;  need  of 
plays   for,  87,    191 ;   quick  to 
learn,    in,    113;   the   field   of 
hope,  130,  189,  213,  215 
Christ,  see  Jesus  Christ 
Christian         Church       mission 

work     in     Cuba,   104 
Christian  Endeavor  service,  122 
Christian    homes,   need   for,   77 
Church  and  State,  43,   146 
Churches  of  Havana,  90,  91 


Ciego  de  Avila  (See-ay'-go 
day  Ah'-vee-lah),  89 

Cienfucgos,  meeting  at,   108 

Cisneros,  Senor  Salvador,  42, 
94 

Cities,  the  lesser,  79 

Civic  improvements,  184 

Civil  government  in  Porto 
Rico,  152,  160,  161 

Classification  of  races,  in  Cuba, 
68;   in   Porto  Rico,   177 

Cleanliness  in  Havana,  89 

Clergy,  the   Spanish,   199 

Climate,  in  Cuba,  60,  61 ;  in 
Porto   Rico,   171,    173 

Clothing,  among  Cubans,  81, 
85;  among  Porto  Ricans,  173, 
188 

Coamo,   187 

Coast  and  mountain  features, 
54;  coastal  railroad  line,  176 

Cock-fighting,    190 

Coconuts,  58,  175 

Coffee,    58;    plantations,     175; 

trade,  157 
Collegios  Internacionales  (Kol- 
lyay'-hee-o  In-ter-nas-i-o-na'- 
les),  buildings  dedicated, 
113;  pupils  give  addresses, 
114-118 

Colored  people,  see  Negro  race 

Colton.  Gov.  George  R.,  218 

Columbus  Cathedra],  8 

Columbus,  Christopher,  4-9; 
Cathedral  reputed  his  burial 
place,  8,  91 ;  discoverer  of 
America,  5;  discoverer  of 
Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  7,  8, 
139;  first  voyage,  5;  hon- 
ored in  Cuba,  8;  journal 
quoted,  6,  7 ;  memorial,  8, 
91  ;  tact  displayed  by,  6 

Columbus,  Diego,  9 
Comforts,      home,      83;      with 
squalor,   85 


INDEX  249 

Comity    in   mission   work,    107,  grievances,  18;  junta  in  New 

108,  208,  209  York,   18,  44 
Congregatioiialists    in    mission  Cuban  Sketches,  70,  84 

work  in  Cuba,   105  "Cubanacan,"    7 

Congress  failed  to  use  an  op-  Cubans,    the    genuine,    68,    69, 

portunity,  39,  40  70 

Constitution  of    Cuba    summa-  Cuba's  population  in  1800,  12 

rized,  43,  44  Cuba's  task,  96 

Constitutional    convention,    41 ;  Cubitas,  24 

incident,  42  Curacoa    (Ku-rah-ko'-ah),  21 

Converts  exemplary,  in;  zeal-  Cushing,  Caleb,  22 

ous,    125 

Cooking,  simple,  85  ^ 

Cooperation       of       Protestant  D'Arango,   71 

workers,  220  Davis,    George    W.,    151 

Cordial   hospitality,    125  De  Cassagnac,  quoted,  171 

Country   life,   84.  85  De  Ocampo,   Sebastian,  8 

Courtship  customs,  83  De    Soto,    Hernandez,    11 

Crittenden,   Col.,    17  Debt  per  capita,  Cuba's,  23 

Cruelty   in   subjugation  of  na-  Degradation   of  woman,   result 

tives,  142  of,  77 

Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  56,  70  Del     Valle     Atiles,    Hon.     Dr. 

Cuba,    area,    physical    features,  Francisco,  address  by,  220 

and  products,  51-62;  beauty.  Destruction  of  the  Indies,  The, 

5  ;  discovery  and  circumnavi-  10 

gation,  7,  8;  early  settlement,  Dewey,    Admiral,   26 

9-12;       English       temporary  Dickering  in  the  market,  80 

control,     13;    oppression    by  Discoz'cry   of  America,  6 

Spain,   9-26;    population   and  Discovery,     of     Cuba,     7;     of 

other    statistics,    68, 230-233 ;  Porto   Rico,    139,    140 

revolts,    17-25;    secures   free-  Diseases  of  Porto  Rico,  153 

dom    through   United    States  Dozi.ni  in  Porto  Rico,  148,  201, 

intervention,       26-28;        still  206,   212 

needs   a  measure   of  protec-  Drake,   Admiral,    12 

tion,  32-48;  study  of  the  peo-  Due  South,  70 

pie  and  their  life,  66-98;  un-  p 
favorable    results    of    Roman 

Catholic  domination,  100-104,  Eager  for  the  gospel,  105 

109,  no,    22,S-2:i7;    work    of  Early   names,    of    Cuba, .7;    of 
Protestant    missions,    111-134  Porto    Rico,    140 

Criba  and  the  Cubans,  70,  71  Eastern  outpost.  America's,  171 

Cuba     Libre     (Coo'-ba     Lee'-  Economic  conditions,   156 

bray),  33,  74,  n6  Education,  almost  no  provision 
Ciiba  zi'ith  Pen  and  Pencil,  70  for.  by  Spain  and  Roman- 
Cuban  delegates  to  Spain,   18;  ism,  in  Cuba,  23,  49-51,  lOi ; 


250 


INDEX 


fine  beginning  by  United 
States,  38,  50;  general  gov- 
ernmental control  of,  44,  50; 
needs,  51 ;  similar  former 
lack  in  Porto  Rico,  147,  154, 
200;  success  of  American 
methods,   154,   155 

Educational  mission  work,  in 
Cuba,  51,  111-119;  in  Porto 
Rico,   191,  215 

El  Cristo  (Ayl  Krees'-to),  60, 
114 

El  Pais,  94 

El  Siglo,  94 

El  Yunque  peak,  169 

Election  frauds,  45 ;  new  law, 
with  good  results,  47,  48 

Electric  plants,  184,  185 

Eleventh  U.  S.  Infantry  in 
Porto  Rico,  149 

Enervating  climate,   171-173 

Episcopalians,  see  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church 

Evangelistic  mission  work,  in 
Cuba,  105-1 1 1,  116,  117,  120- 
132;    in   Porto   Rico,  211-215 

Evils,  cause  of.   147 

Exports  and  imports,  Cuba, 
23Z ;  Porto  Rico,  to  and  from 
United  States,  158 


Family  life.  81,   123 
Famous  military  road,  175 
Faro  Industrial,  94 
Fauna  of  Cuba,  56 
Fees,  marriage.  201-204 
Ferdinand    VII,    15 
Fernandina,  Florida,  24 
Fertile    soil,    56,    57,    157,    173, 

.174 
Finances,  Porto  Rico's,  156 
First    settlement    in    Cuba,    9; 

first  town,  II 
Flag    of    the    Cuban    Republic, 

^4,  44 


Flora  of  Cuba,  56 

Florida  coast,  nearness  to 
Cuba,  53;  not  sighted  by  Co- 
lumbus, 8 

Foraker  law,   152.   156 

Forbes-Lindsay,  C.  H.,  auoted, 
138 

Form  of  religion  only  in  Ro- 
manism,  207 

Fort,  San  Cristobal,  1S2,  183; 
Tampa,  27 

Four  Centuries  of  Spanish 
Rule  in  Cuba,  10 

Fowles,  G.  M.,  quoted,  147, 
201,  206,  212 

Freedom,  Porto  Rico's,  150; 
misunderstood,   160 

Friends,  Society  of,  mission 
work  in   Cuba,   104 

Fruits,  native,  58 

Fry,  Captain,  21,  22 

Funeral   customs.  91-93 

Furniture,   etc.,  82 


Gambling  habits.  87,  190 

Garcia    (Gahr-thee'-ah ),  91,  94 

Gifts  to  the  natives  by  Colum- 
bus, 6 

Gold,  greed  for  and  pursuit  of, 
141,   1+2 

Gomez,  Jose  Miguel,  47,  48; 
Maximo,  24,  91 

Gospel  transformations,   189 

Governor's  title,   12 

Grant,  President,  25 

Greater  Antilles,  51,  139 

Greene,  J.  Milton,  quoted,  100, 
108-1 II 

Guajnibon  peak,  54 

Guanahani,  5 

Guantanamo  ( Gwahn-tahn'-ah- 
nio),  55,  60 

Guaybana,  chief,  141 

Guines,  89 

Gulf  of  Mexico,  52 


INDEX 


251 


H 

Habana  (Ah-bahn'-ah),  see 
Hazana 

Haiti,  52 

Happy  peasantry,  189 

Harbors,  55 

Hatuey,  chief,    10 

Havana,  architecture,  90,  91 ; 
becomes  capital,  12,  14; 
British  capture  and  hold 
briefly,  13;  gaiety,  93,  94; 
harbor,  89;  occupied  by 
American  military  governor, 
35)  36;  sanitary  improve- 
ments, 36,  37,  89,  90;  streets, 
90 

Hazard,   Samuel,  70 

Healing,  alleged  miracles  of, 
206 

Henry,  Maj.-gen.   Guy  V.,    151 

Hernandez,  Dr.  H.  M.,  154 

Hicks,  Harry  Wade,  quoted, 
100,   106,  113 

Hill,  Robert  T.,  quoted,  56,  66, 
70 

Hispaniola,  8 

Historic  scene  in  Porto  Rico, 
149 

History  of  Puerto  Rico,  144 

Hopkins,  Archibald,  quoted,  177 

Hormigueros,  vision  of  the 
Virgin  in,  205 

Hospitality,  cordial,  125;  cour- 
teous, 187 

Hough,  S.  S.,  quoted,  196 

Houses  in  Santiago,  79 

Hughes,  jMiss,  incident  related 
by,  202 

Humacao  (Hoo-mah-kah'-o), 
213 

Humanitarian  war,  28 

Hunt.  W.    H.,  quoted.    161-164 

Hurricanes  in  Porto  Rico,  con- 
ditions caused  by,  143,  151, 
157;   relief  furnished,   156 


Illiterate  Cubans,  49;  improve- 
ment, 50.  .51 

Immoral  priests,  200,  201 

Immorality,  causes  of,   276 

Immunity  of  Cubans  to  yellow 
fever,  36 

Improved  conditions  in  Porto 
Rico,  144 

Independence    day,    Cuba's,    44 

Independent,  quoted,   161-164 

Indian  natives,  of  Cuba,  6-12; 
of   Porto  Rico,   140-142 

Indolence,  apparent  and  real, 
69,  84,  86,  174,  196 

Inquisition,   the,    197,    198 

Insect   life,   tropical,   83 

Institutional  work,  216 

Insurgents'  methods,  19;  under 
Cuban   regime,  45 

Interdenominational  Confer- 
ence of  Porto  Rico,  220 

International  Sunday  School 
Association,    108 

Intervention  asked  for,  46; 
United  States,  right  of,  41 

Irrigation  areas,   173 

Italy  and  Cuba's  relative 
length,  53 

J 

Jal-alai,  kind  of  ball   game,  87 

Jamaica,  13,  53 

Japan  and  the  Indies,  Colum- 
bus' mistake  about,  7 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  on  Cuban 
annexation,  32 

Jesus  Christ,  104,  223 ;  being 
made  known,  116,  117,  125, 
224 

Jibaros.  the,  178,  179,  180 

Juana  (Hoo-ahn'-ah),  Cuba's 
early  name,  7 

K 
Key  West  Railway,  53 
Kublai  Khan  referred  to,  7 


2^2 


INDEX 


La  Punta  (Lah  Poon'-tah) 
battery,    \2 

Larrinaya,  Tulio,  quoted,  on 
abolition  of  slavery  in  Porto 
Rico,  145 

Las  Casas,  Bishop  of  Seville, 
6,  9,   ID 

Latin  race  differs  from  Anglo- 
Saxon,  216,  217 

Liberal,  club  in  Havana,  18; 
era,    15 

Liberation,  final  war  of,  24 

Lieutenant  Castle  in  Porto 
Rico,  150 

Literary  mission  work  in  Cuba, 
."9 

Literature  of  good  quality  lack- 
ing.  95;    need    for,    119 

Llorente,  Sefior  Pedro.  42 

Location  and  shape  of  Cuba, 
51 

Lopez,   Narcisso,   execution  of, 

Lorraine,  Sir  Lampton,  22 
Lottery    and    cock-fighting,    87, 

88 
Lyle.    E.    P.,    Jr.,   quoted,    156, 

168 

M 

McCall,  M.  N.,  quoted,  100 
McKinley,    President,   26,   2-j 
Macedonian  cry,   127,    128 
Macias,  Manuel,  146 
Magoon,  Charles  E.,  47 
Maine,  destruction  of,  25,  26 
Major  Dean  in  Porto  Rico,  150 
]\Ianila    Bay,   26 
IManso,  Bishop,   197 
Manzanillo       (Mahn-sahn  eel'- 

yo),  55 
Marketing,   80 
Marriage  fees  formerly  charged 

by   Roman    Catholic    Church, 

103,  198,  201-203,  235 


^Marriages       by       missionaries, 

123,  211,  235,  236 
Marti,  Jose    (Ho-say'),  24,  66 
Marvin,  George,  quoted,  183 
Matanzas,  9,  89 
Mayaguez      (Mah-yah-gways'), 
176;   incident  in,  202;   physi- 
cian of,  220 
Medical  mission  work,  186,  216 
]\Ien  being  reached,   122 
Methodist     Episcopal      Church 
mission  work  in  Porto  Rico, 
219 
Methodist     Episcopal     Church, 
South,  mission  work  in  Cuba, 
104 
Michigan  senator,  40 
Miles,  General,  at  Guanica,  148 
Military    rule    in    Cuba,    neces- 
sity  for,   35,   38;    road-build- 
ing   under,   2)7 
Mill,  John   Stuart,  quoted,  2 
Misrepresentation    of    mission- 
aries,  105 
Misrule,  Spain's,  146,   147 
j\Iission  churches,   188;  schools 

needed,  51 
Missionaries,         characteristics 
and   rewards.    120,    126;   wel- 
come   to    workers,    105,    106, 
180,  210,  211;  women's  work 
in    Cuba,    78,    124,    125;    see 
also     Protestant     m  i  s  s  i  0  n 
zi^ork 
Missionary      Revicio     of      the 
World,  referred  to,   134,  226 
Mongrel  population,  198 
Monserratc,  legend  of,  205 
Moral  standard  rising,  123,  2X2 
Morals,  and  marriage,  198,  200. 
202;  in  life  of  Havana,  93,  94 
Morro     (Mo'-ro)     Castle,     12, 

89 
Moseley.    H.    R.,    referred    to, 

105  . 
Municipal  ownership,   199 


INDEX 


253 


N 
Native  Cuban  Church,  120,  121, 

130,  131 
Native  views,   181 
Natives,    see    Indian    natives 
Natural  resources,  55,  56 
Negro    race,    in    Cuba,    10,    19, 

68,    74.    76;    in    Porto    Rico, 

142,   145,   177 
New  Orleans,  17 
New    regime   celebrated,   48 
Niiia,  the,  5 
Niobe.  the,  22 
Nipe   (Nee'-pay),  55 
Noa,  F.  ^I.,  75 
Normal  schools  needed,  119 
Nuevitas       (Noo-ay-vee'-tahs) 

Harbor,   7,   55 


Obispo    Street.   90 

Olney,  Secretary,  referred  to, 
21 

Ore   deposits,   55 

O'Reilly   Street,  90 

Oriente  (Santiago),  9,  53,  55 

Ostend    ISIanifesto,   52 

Outlook,  quoted,  153,  154,  155, 
15B.  159,  178,  203,  210;  re- 
ferred  to.    75 

Ovando,   Gov.,    141 


Palma,   Senor,  referred  to,  21, 

44 
Panama  Canal.  52.   168,  170 
Pafcl  Pcriodico.  94 
Patio,  the.  81,  82.  185,  186 
Peace  Commission.  46,  47 
Pepper,  Charles  M..  quoted  or 

referred   to,   32,   36,   70,    100, 

107 
Persecution  of  converts.  221 
Petty  and  vexations   despotism 

under  the   captain-general,  17 
Pliilippines,  the,  26 


Physical  features,  of  Cuba,  51- 
55;  of  Porto  Rico,   169,   170, 

Pianos   common,  83 

Pico  Turquino,  see  Turqiiino 
peak 

Picturesque  color  .and  scenes, 
80,  187 

Pinar  del  Rio  (Pee-nahr'  dayl 
Ree'-o),  9,  89 

Pinta.   the,   5 

Plantain,  the,  59,  174 

Piatt,  Senator,  of  Connecticut, 
40 

Plaza,  the,  79,  182 

Polk,  James  K.,  25 

Ponce  (Pohn'-say.  colloquial 
s  sound  for  c),  176,  181,  183, 
187,  204 

Ponce  de  Leon  (Pohn'-say  day 
Lay'-ohn),  141,  197 

Population,  of  Cuba,  68,  69, 
229,  230;  of  Porto  Rico,  177, 
238 

Porto  Rican  qualities,  de- 
scribed by  one  of  themselves, 
178,  179 

Porto  Rico,  27.  52;  area,  nat- 
ural features,  and  products, 
54,  155-159.  169-176;  discov- 
ery by  Columbus,  139,  140; 
diseases,  153,  154;  early 
names,  exploration,  and  set- 
tlement, 140-143;  later  col- 
ony and  province  of  Spain, 
145;  population,  177,  238; 
slavery  voluntarily  abolished, 
145 ;  successful  transition 
from  Spain  to  the  United 
States,  145-192;  undivided 
rule  of  Romanism  and  re- 
sults. 196-207;  work  of  Prot- 
estant  missions.   208-224 

Porto  Rico  of  To-day.  The,  150 

Poverty.  186;  accotiiited  for, 
147,   148 


^54 


LXDEX 


Presbyterian?,    North,    mission 

work  in  Cuba,  104;  in  Porto 

Rico,  208 
Press  in  Cuba,  94 
Primitive    rural    life,    in    Cuba, 

84-86;    in    Porto    Rico,    188, 

189 
Problems,  153 

Prospective  prosperity,  174,  175 
Protestant     Episcopal     Church, 

209;   mission  work   in   Cuba, 

104,  105,  107*   in  Porto  Rico, 

186,  209 
Protestant     mission     work,     in 

Cuba,      104-132;     in      Porto 

Rico,   211-224 
Protestantism     misrepresented, 

119 
Provinces     in     Cuba,     former 

and    present,    9 
Provisional      government,      by 

United   States,   in   Cuba,  46- 

48 
Public  school  system,  38,  200 
Pueblo   Viejo    (Pweb'-lo  Vee- 

ay'-ho),    141 
Puerto       Principe       (Pwer'-to 

Preen'-see-pay),   19,  24 
Puertoric]uenians        (Pwer'-to- 

ree-kay'-nee-ans),   179 
Puerto    Rico     (Pwer'-to    Ree- 

ko),  see  Porto  Rico 
Pullman  sleepers,  88 
Purchase    of    Cuba    proposed, 

52 

Q 

Qualities    lacking    in     Cubans, 

70 
Queen    Isabella,    18 


Race   characteristics    of    Porto 

Ricans,    178,  216.  217 
Railway   service.  88 
Range   of   temperature,    60 


Real  Condition  of  Cuba  To- 
day, The,  25 

Real   estate  prices,   176 

Reciprocity,   40 

Reconcentrados,  10,  25 

Reforms  promised,  20;  prom- 
ises broken,  21,  22, 

Religion  and  morals  insepa- 
rable,   lOI 

Religious    liberty   in    Cuba,    43 

Republic  proclaimed,    19 

Revenues  and  disbursements  in 
Cuba  under  Spain,  2^ 

Revolts  in  Cuba,    16-26 

Rio    Piedras,   172,    186 

Rivers,  55 

Road  projects,  89,  175,  176, 
219 

Robinson,    A.     G.,    quoted,    2, 

Roman  Catholic  control,  in 
Cuba,  101-103;  ill  Porlo 
Rico,    197-207 

Romanism,  failure  of,  in  the 
islands,  100-103.  109,  no, 
196,  199-207;  vitalized  by 
contact  with  Protestant  mis- 
sion   work,    112 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  ZZ,  40> 
46,  47 

Royal  Order,  Ferdinand's,  15 

Rudd,  A.  B.,  quoted,  205 


Sabbath-breaking,   206 

San   Cristobal,  de  Habana,  11; 

Fort,   182,   1S3 
San  Domingo,  8,  24.  80,  14O 
San  Juan    (Sahn  Hoo-an'),  in 

Cuba.  27,  33 ;  in  Porto  Rico. 

182,   183;  conditions  in.   185; 

harbor,     170;    military     road 

to   Ponce,   175,   176,   181,    182. 

184,    187 
San     Juan      Beautista      (Sahn 

Hoo-an'  Bow-tcest'-ah),  ear- 


INDEX 


255 


\y  name  for  Porto  Rico,  139, 

141 
San    Salvador,   5 
Sancti      Spiritus       (Sahnk'-tee 

Speer'-ee-toos),   11 
Sanguilly      (Sahn-gwee'-lyay), 

Senor,  42 
Sanitary    and    other    improve- 
ments, 36-38.  89,  90.   153,  154 
Santa  Clara    (Sahn'-tah   Clar'- 

rah),       city,       89,       126-128, 

province,  9 
Santa  Maria,  the,   5 
Santiago    de    Cuba    (Sahn-tee- 

ah'-go     day     Koo'bah),     11, 

14,    27,    23,    55,   60,    79,    129; 

cathedral    congregation,    122; 

trip   to    Havana,  88 
Santurce  (  Sahn-toor'-say  ) , 

186     . 
Schools,   in   Cuba,   38,   50,   112- 

119;   in  Porto   Rico,   155;   sa- 
lute to  the  stars  and  stripes, 

191 
Sea   route   to   Cuba,  53 
Seabury,    Joseph     B.,    quoted, 

138 
Service   wins   people,   120,    121, 

123 
Sherman,     "Father,"     referred 

to,  201 
Sierra    Maestra,    55 
Sixth    United    States    Cavalry 

in   historic   scene,    149 
Slavery,   10,   19,   142,  145,   197 
Smaller   cities,  life  in,  79-81 
Sobriety   the    rule,    190 
Social    distinctions.    78 
Soil   very   fertile,   in    Cuba,   56, 

57;  in   Porto   Rico,  157,   173, 

Spain,  control  in  the  islands 
for  centuries,  5-8,  138-142; 
cruel,  selfish,  and  tyrannous 
policy,  4,  9-26,   142,  '143,  146, 


147;  loss  of  her  possessions, 
26-34,    148-150 

Spaniards  or  Spanish  now  in 
Cuba,  68,  73 

Spanish  criminals  sent  to 
Porto  Rico,   144 

Stars  and  stripes,  33,  44,  146, 
191 

Stately  Cubans,  87 

Statistics,  Cuba :  area,  53 ;  ex- 
ports and  imports,  233 ;  oc- 
cupations, 2ii ;  population, 
68,  69,  229,  230;  products, 
^3^,  23s;  railroads,  etc., 
233;  schools,  233.  Porto 
Rico:  area,  54,  170;  city  and 
country  dwellers,  181,  185; 
good  roads,  219;  population, 
177,  238;  schools,  154,  155; 
trade  with  United  States, 
158;  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  building  in  San 
Juan,   219 

Steele.  James  W.,  quoted,  4, 
82,  66,  70 

Stone,    Gen.    Roy,   quoted,    178 

Strategic  importance  of  Cuba 
to    United    States,  52 

Sugar,   56,   157 

Sunday  School  Association 
for  Cuba,  108 

Superstition  and  ignorance, 
200,    20s 

Surrender  celebration  at  Ha- 
vana, 32 

Suzarte,  94 


Taft,     President     William     PI. 

46 
Tariff  troubles,   39 
Taxation.    14,    17 
Telegraphs,   185,  233 
Telephones.   185.   233 
Temperature,   173 
Tobacco,   58,   174 


256 


INDEX 


To-morrozv    in    Cuba,    36,    70, 

102 
Tornado,   the,   21 
Torture.    10.    198 
Tour   of    the    missions,  a,  121, 

122 
Trade   restrictions,    14 
Trade  winds,   171,   172 
Trained    teachers,    118 
Traits    accounted   for,   72 
Transportation  facilities,  175 
Trinidad,    II 
Trolley,     the     Ainerican,     183, 

1S4 
Tropical    ways,    78 
Turquino    (Toor-kee'-no)  peak, 

54 
Tyranny,    10,    15 

U 

United  Brethren,  208;  mission 
work  of  in   Porto   Rico,  20S 

United  States,  attention  of 
Presidents  directed  to  Cuba, 
25,  26,  32,  40;  interest  of 
citizens,  17,  21;  loyal  re- 
sponse when  war  became 
necessary,  26-28 ;  notable 
success  on  sea  and  land.  26- 
34;  our  military  control  in- 
augurates new  era,  34-39; 
peace  secured  by  our  later 
intervention,  46-4S ;  Porto 
Rico  and  the  Philippines 
call  for  new  world  relations, 
27,  28,  148-150;  results  of 
ten  years'  civil  administra- 
tion and  missionary  effort  in 
Porto  Rico,    150-224 

Unprepossessing  type  of  Amer- 
ican, 217,  218 


Unsanitary  conditions,   186 


Van     Buren.     Bishop     J.     W., 

quoted.    155,   210 
Van  Home,  Sir  William,  88 
Van   Middeldyk,   quoted,    144 
Vegetables     native     to     Porto 

Rico,    174 
Velasquez.  Diego,  9,   10,    11 
Vieques,  204 
Virginitis    affair,    the.    21;    in- 

denmity  and   sympathy,  22 

\N 

Watling's   Island.   5 

Wet  and  dry  seasons  in  Porto 

Rico,    171 
Weyler,      Gov.-gcn.,      referred 

to,  10,  24;  recall  asked.  25 
Wilson.  E.   S.,  quoted.   168 
Winthrop.  Col.  W..  quoted,  179 
Woman  missionaries,   124 
Woman's  condition.  74,  75,  76; 

help  suggested.  77 
Wood,    Gen.    Leonard,    35,    37, 

82 
World's  Work,  quoted,  154,  156 


Vara  (Hah-rah').  19 
Yellow    fever,   36,  90 
"Yellow"  journals.  95 
Young   Men's    Christian   Asso- 
ciation  in  San   Juan,   219 


Zanion   (Sahn-hon'),  treaty  of. 

20.   23 
Zayas,  Alfredo,  47,  48 


Forward   Mission  Study  Courses 


'Anywhere,  provided  it  be  forward/' — David  Livingstone.' 


Prepared    under    the    direction    of   the 
YOUNG   PEOPLE'S  MISSIONARY   MOVEMENT 

OF   THE   UNITED    STATES    AND   CANADA 

Editorial  Committee:  T.  H.  P.  Sailer,  Chairman;  A.  E. 
Armstrong,  T.  B.  Ray,  H.  B.  Grose,  S.  Earl  Taylor,  J.  E. 
McAfee,  C.  R.  Watson,  John  W.  Wood,  L.  B.  Wolf. 


The  forward  mission  study  courses  are  an  outgrowth  of  a 
conference  of  leaders  in  young  people's  mission  work,  held  in 
New  York  City,  December,  1901.  To  meet  the  need  that 
was  manifested  at  that  conference  for  mission  study  text- 
books suitable  for  young  people,  two  of  the  delegates,  Pro- 
fessor Amos  R.  Wells,  of  the  United  Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  and  Mr.  S.  Earl  Taylor,  Chairman  of  the  General 
Missionary  Committee  of  the  Epworth  League,  projected  the 
Forward  Mission  Study  Courses.  These  courses  have  been 
officially  adopted  by  the  Young  People's  Missionary  Move- 
ment, and  are  now  under  the  irqmediate  direction  of  the 
Editorial  Committee  of  the  Movement.  The  books  of  the 
I^Iovement  are  now  being  used  by  more  than  forty  home 
and  foreign  mission  boards  and  societies  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada. 

The  aim  is  to  publish  a  series  of  text-books  covering  the 

257 


various  home  and  foreign  mission  fields  and  written  by  lead- 
ing authorities.  The  entire  series  when  completed  will  com- 
prise perhaps  as  many  as  forty  text-books. 

The  following  text-books  having  a  sale  of  750,000  have 
been  published  : 

1.  The  Price  of  Africa.  (Biographical.)  By  S.  Earl 
Taylor. 

2.  Into  All  the  World.  A  general  survey  of  missions. 
By  Amos  R.  Wells. 

3.  Princely  Men  in  the  Heavenly  Kingdom.  (Biograph- 
ical.)     By   Harlan   P.   Beach. 

4.  Sunrise  in  the  Sunrise  Kingdoji.  A  study  of  Japan. 
By  John   H.  DeForest. 

5.  Heroes  of  the  Cross  in  America.  Home  Missions. 
(Biographical.)      By  Don  O.  Shelton. 

6.  Daybreak  in  the  Dark  Continent.  A  study  of  Africa. 
By  William    S.   Naylor. 

7.  The  Christian  Conquest  of  India.  A  study  of  India. 
By  James  M.   Thoburn. 

8.  Aliens  or  Americans?  A  study  of  Immigration.  By 
Howard  B.  Grose. 

9.  The  Uplift  of  China.  A  study  of  China.  By  Arthur 
H.  Smith. 

10.  The  Challenge  of  the  City.  A  study  of  the  City. 
By  Josiah   Strong. 

11.  The  Why  and  How  of  Foreign  Missions.  A  study 
of  the  relation  of  the  home  Church  to  the  foreign  missionary 
enterprise.     By  Arthur  J.   Brown. 

12.  The  Moslem  World.  A  study  of  the  IMohammedan 
World.     By  Samuel   M.  Zwemcr. 

13.  The  Frontier.  A  study  of  the  New  West.  Bv  Ward 
Piatt. 

14.  South  America  :  Its  Missionary  Problems.  A  study  of 
South  America.     By  Thomas  B.   Neely. 

15.  The  Upward  Path:  The  Evolution  of  a  Race.  A 
study  of  the   Negro.     By  Mary  Helm. 

16.  Korea  in  Transition.  A  study  of  Korea.  By  Tames 
S.  Gale. 

258 


17.  Advance  in  the  Antilles.  A  study  of  Cuba  and 
Porto  Rico.     By  Howard  B.  Grose. 

In  addition  to  these  courses,  the  following  have  been  pub- 
lished  especially   for    use   among  younger   persons: 

1.  Uganda's  White  Man  of  Work.  The  story  of  Alex- 
ander Mackay  of  Africa.     By  Sophia  Lyon  Fahs. 

2.  Servants  of  the  King.  A  series  of  eleven  sketches 
of  famous  home  and  foreign  missionaries.  By  Robert  E. 
Speer. 

3.  Under  Marching  Orders.  The  story  of  Mary  Porter 
Gamewell  of  China.     By  Ethel  Daniels  Hubbard, 

These  books  are  published  by  mutual  arrangement  among 
the  home  and  foreign  mission  boards,  to  whom  all  orders 
should  be  addressed.  They  are  bound  uniformly  and  are 
sold  at  50  cents,  in  cloth,  and  35  cents,  in  paper;  postage, 
8  cents  extra. 


250 


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